


You Can Have My Heart

by fantasydreamer6



Category: Merlin - Fandom, Merthur - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-03-20
Packaged: 2017-11-25 03:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 58,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/634791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fantasydreamer6/pseuds/fantasydreamer6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set parallel to the series after Mordred joins the Camelot knights, with a very different turn of events. *MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH ALERT* Arthur is devastated after Morgana murders Gwen and doesn't know where to turn. Merlin, who has been attracted to Arthur for some time, also doesn't know how to help his king. After searching for Morgana and some unfortunate events, Arthur starts to discover that he might like Merlin too, and his servant might be able to help him heal after his tragic loss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The loss

“Guinevere!” Arthur cried, running to Gwen’s limp body. The king, followed by his knights, raced across the forest to where the woman lay, unmoving. 

Merlin caught a glance of Morgana’s cloak retreating into the safety of the lush trees. He didn’t pursue her this time, instead he stayed by his king’s side as he shook his queen helplessly. 

“I’m sorry my lord,” Merlin said softly. He knelt down and placed his fingers against Gwen’s neck but felt nothing. She was truly gone, body and spirit, traveling across the veil and out of Arthur’s reach. 

“It’s not true. Gaius can help her. We must get her there quickly. Men!” Arthur shouted huskily. “Ready the horses. We depart immediately.”

Arthur lifted Gwen himself and slung her gently over his horse. He mounted quickly and took off, not waiting for the others to follow. Merlin hoisted himself up over his horse’s saddle and followed in silence. The mood was dark and looming as the knight’s trekked back to Camelot behind Arthur. 

 

“Gaius!” Arthur called as he burst into the room. Merlin followed behind him silently, making sure Gwen stayed securely on Arthur’s shoulders even though she was no longer with them. He was sure that Arthur would accept the news easier if Gaius confirmed what Merlin had already told him.

“My lord?” Gaius asked, coming into view quickly. Merlin raised his eyebrows at Gaius and motioned to Gwen, shaking his head slowly.

“Guinevere…is she…she couldn’t be, right?” Arthur stammered. He lay the queen gently on the cot Gaius had ready for sick patients and knelt by her side. 

“Let me take a look,” Gaius replied. He put on his glasses and inspected Gwen slowly. He did a similar series of tests that Merlin had performed hastily in the forest. Frowning, Gaius turned to his table and retrieved a container that he placed under Gwen’s nose. When he received no response, his frown deepened and he pressed on her chest a number of times. 

“Is she?…” Arthur croaked, unable to hear the news.

“I believe so, sire,” Gaius said gravely. “She has departed this world.”

“This cannot be! Was this done by magic?!” Arthur demanded angrily.

“Yes, I think so,” Gaius replied calmly.

“It was Morgana wasn’t it? She has gone too far this time. She will pay, I swear it,” Arthur took one last look at Gwen before stomping out of the room. Merlin was sure that Arthur did not want them to see him break down.

“It was definitely Morgana,” Merlin said quietly. “I saw her leave as we approached.”

“This doesn’t seem like something Morgana would normally do,” Gaius replied. “She killed Uther out of hatred and passion. Gwen…I do not see why she would wish her dead so easily.”

“Well Gwen was the queen, where Morgana thinks she should be,” Merlin replied. “But I agree, she hadn’t killed her the last time she kidnapped her, why now?”

“It is probably something we will never know,” Gaius sighed. 

“I’m going to try some magic,” Merlin said quietly, “just in case.”

“I don’t see what good it will do, but go ahead,” Gaius motioned to Gwen.

Merlin edged closer and clasped his hands together over Gwen’s heart. He muttered some words and his eyes flashed golden, but Gwen didn’t move. He tried another combination of words, but it had the same effect; nothing. 

After a few minutes of more failed attempts, Merlin turned to Gaius and shrugged, “It was worth a try.”

“Always worth trying,” Gaius replied.He pulled a sheet over Gwen’s still form and sat there, lost in thought. 

Merlin debated going after Arthur, but he wasn’t sure the king would appreciate it. He would probably just get even angrier at Merlin for interrupting his grieving time. Instead, he sat at the table and stared at the sheet that covered the queen’s body. He started blaming himself for her death but stopped himself. No, this was no one else’s fault but Morgana’s. His magic could have saved her if he was there the whole time, but not so long afterwords. He wondered if his magic could have saved her if he tried right there in the clearing. His heart told him there was a slight possibility, but his brain reminded him that she was dead for at least ten minutes before they reached her. There was nothing he could have done. 

*

Merlin stood outside Arthur’s door the next morning, breakfast ready in his hand. He was debating whether to knock or go straight in. He listened at the door but heard no movement. He straightened up and decided on knocking out of courtesy. The two knocks rang down the corridor and sounded hollow to him, as if the very walls of Camelot were mourning Gwen as well. He listened but there was no reply. With a sigh, he pushed the doors open and walked into the room. 

“Sire?” Merlin asked tentatively. He placed the breakfast on the table and walked past it to see if Arthur was still in bed. He was, and had his back facing Merlin. Merlin noticed that the shades were pulled shut and the room was very dark. 

“I brought you breakfast, Arthur,” Merlin said again, willing the king to respond. Arthur remained silent, whether he was sleeping or ignoring Merlin was unknown. Merlin crossed the end of the bed to where Arthur was facing and saw that Arthur was staring straight ahead, his eyes blank and unfocused. “Sire?” Merlin asked softly, kneeling down so that he was at the same level as Arthur. 

“Go away Merlin,” Arthur said slowly. His mouth barely moved and his eyes remained fixed on the faraway spot. Merlin saw that they were rimmed red and were slightly puffy. 

“You need to eat,” Merlin coaxed. 

“I’m not hungry,” Arthur replied and his voice cracked slightly.

Merlin stood up and walked over to the curtains. He took an end and was about to pull them apart when he heard Arthur’s voice. 

“Don’t.” Merlin almost jumped back from the force in Arthur’s voice. He could feel the anger radiating out of the syllables, each word laced with venom. He dropped the edge of the curtain and turned to face Arthur again. The king hadn’t moved one inch, but his brows were furrowed and his mouth was a tight, straight line. Merlin bowed slightly and excused himself from the room.

Once outside, Merlin let his shoulders drop and drew in a deep breath. He hadn’t realized he stopped breathing when Arthur gave his command. He rolled his shoulders back and forth a couple of times to release the tension, but it didn’t work. He knew Arthur was going to be grievously upset, but he didn’t think that Arthur would so readily shun him from the chambers. He started walking down the hallway, keeping his head down, lost in thought. A voice shook him out of his thoughts sharply.

“I said, what’s going on Merlin?” Gwaine asked. The knight was standing right in Merlin’s path, preventing him from advancing.

“I just came from Arthur’s room, brought him some breakfast,” Merlin responded distractedly.

“And you didn’t leave any for me?” Gwaine pouted jokingly. 

“I wouldn’t go down there. Arthur does not want to be disturbed,” Merlin said, ignoring the jest.

“Something important has come up, actually,” Gwaine replied. “He is required in the meeting chambers immediately.”

“Let me go with you then,” Merlin replied, doing a quick about-face. “You’ll need some help.”

Gwaine raised his eyes quizzically at Merlin but didn’t respond. The two headed back down the corridor to the royal chambers in silence. Merlin knocked again this time but opened the door right away instead of waiting for an answer. He motioned Gwaine to follow him and entered slowly. 

Arthur was exactly where Merlin had left him five minutes ago. Merlin cleared his throat and took a glance at Gwaine before speaking. “Sire, Sir Gwaine is here to see you. There is a pressing matter that needs attending to.”

Arthur grunted, but didn’t move. Merlin shrugged at Gwaine, who was trying to pick through Arthur’s breakfast surreptitiously. Finally, Arthur rolled over and Gwaine withdraw his hand from the plate quickly. Merlin sighed inward with relief. 

“What is the matter?” Arthur asked simply.

“Sire…there appears to be a famine spreading to the lower town. Crops are dying quickly and the water pump is dripping water more than dispensing it,” Gwaine reported stiffly. 

“Send Gaius out to see if he can discern the source,” Arthur replied, rolling back over.

“Sire-” Merlin started, but was cut off.

“Go with him Merlin.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Merlin replied and exited the room quickly. Gwaine took one last look at Arthur before following Merlin out.

“You were right,” Gwaine said quietly. Merlin simply nodded, heading back to his chambers to inform Gaius. Gwaine parted ways with Merlin halfway into the trip and they exchanged head tilts before going their separate ways.

When Merlin entered the room, he found Gaius peering at something under a magnifying glass. 

“Gaius…” Merlin started, unsure of how to start.

“One minute Merlin. I’m trying to classify this root. I don’t think I’ve seen it around here before,” Gaius replied. Merlin sat on the stool next to Gaius and peered at the root. From what he could see, it didn’t look that much different from the roots that were pulled out of the ground when digging for plants. Merlin realized he still had much to learn from Gaius about plant lore. 

“Gaius, there is a famine in the lower town. The two of us are ordered to check it out, see what we can find,” Merlin blurted out, unable to contain it any longer.

“Ordered by whom?” Gaius asked curiously.

“Arthur…from his bedchambers,” Merlin replied hesitantly. Gaius finally looked away from the magnifying class to raise an eyebrow at Merlin, a nonverbal question. “He won’t leave his bed. Gwaine came in to bring him to the meeting hall but Arthur gave orders from his bed. It isn’t looking good.”

“And with Gwen’s service tomorrow…” Gaius trailed off, shaking his head. “Let’s go see what we can find, then.”

The duo reached the lower town in a matter of minutes. Merlin could tell the shift from the castle to this area of living due to the number of people on the streets, begging for food. The knights on patrol were constantly being harassed for some sort of sustenance or money. Gaius shooed away the beggars and began to survey crops in the fields. Merlin headed for the water pump and put a bucket under it. He pumped vigorously but only a trickle leaked out. 

“The water is disappearing too,” Merlin called over to Gaius. 

“The crops are withering before my very eyes,” Gaius replied. Merlin walked over to Gaius and inspected the crops. He looked closely at the stems coming out of the dirt and saw them wilting as he watched. 

“What causes this?” Merlin asked.

“A strong disease…or, sorcery,” Gaius said quietly.

“I was afraid of that,” Merlin replied. “Morgana?”

“Possibly. This might mean she’s beginning her assault on Camelot.”

Merlin considered this possibility. If this was true, Arthur would need to be at full strength to fight her. Also, he would most definitely need to use magic in the fight to ensure the win. Morgana might have slain Gwen for the specific reason of putting Arthur in misery so that he couldn’t focus and mount a counterattack. Merlin narrowed his eyes at the thought. To think that she would stoop so low just to claim the throne of Camelot…

“Arthur needs to be 100 percent to fight this,” Merlin whispered fiercely. 

“Let’s go underground to the castle stores and the well, maybe we can find clues there,” Gaius said. 

The two trekked through the underbelly of the castle to where the well was located. Merlin looked over the edge and was surprised to find the well was completely full. 

“The water is here…but it’s not getting out to the people,” he said, musing aloud. “This doesn’t explain the crops, though.”

Merlin held his hand out above the water and closed his eyes. He detected nothing noticeable in the body of water, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there subtly. He lowered his hand slowly toward the surface of the water and let one of his fingers graze the smooth, mirror-like surface. Nothing burned, he didn’t lose his finger, and nothing appeared in the water.

“It seems alright to me,” Merlin shrugged. 

“Morgana is probably preventing it from reaching the well, nothing more,” Gaius said. “And the castle stores look fine.”

“I guess we should report to Arthur…if he will even see us,” Merlin said.

*

Merlin found himself knocking on Arthur’s door for the third time that day. At least Gaius was with him, so Arthur couldn’t be too disconnected. As with the first two attempts, there was no response from inside the room. Merlin gave Gaius a look that meant ‘I told you so’ and pushed the door open anyway. 

He was slightly relieved to see that Arthur had gotten himself out of bed. He was sitting at the table, shirtless, his food untouched. Unwillingly, Merlin began tracing the outlines of Arthur’s muscles, each and every curve, and had to swallow and look away to stop himself. It had been slightly okay before, when Arthur was happier, but now he just felt guilty and dirty thinking anything sexual about Arthur. 

“Sire, there is a dire problem in the lower town,” Gaius said plainly.

“So I heard,” Arthur replied tonelessly. 

“The food supply is dying as we speak, and the water is being prevented from reaching the pump. We believe,” Gaius paused and glanced at Merlin before continuing, “Morgana is behind it.”

At the sound of her name, Arthur winced, and let out a slight growl. Merlin felt the urge to run to Arthur and comfort him, but refrained. 

“So, Morgana is trying to ruin all of Camelot, is she?” Arthur spat out. “We’ll see.”

“What should be done about the lower town?” Gaius asked.

“Someone should find the source of her evil magic,” Arthur said after a long pause.

Merlin and Gaius shared a look. Arthur usually took charge of things happening within the kingdom. To make such a general statement showed the state he was in.

“Who, sire?” Gaius asked slowly.

Arthur stared at the two men uncomprehendingly for a moment. His head drooped slightly and he let out a sigh. Merlin waited patiently for the king’s response. 

“I will lead a search party around Camelot’s perimeter tomorrow after the…uh…the…”

“The ceremony, my lord,” Merlin interjected quickly. He didn’t want Arthur to push himself over the edge.

“Yes, after that. Tomorrow.” Arthur nodded vigorously and then returned to staring ahead. Merlin pushed the plate of food in front of him slowly.

“Eat sire,” Merlin said gently. He put his hand on Arthur’s shoulder reassuringly, only applying light pressure. Arthur stared at the plate of food as if it was a foreign object. It was no doubt cold by now, but Merlin hoped the king would at least take a few bites. To his relief, Arthur picked up a roll and bit into it slowly. He chewed mechanically, seemingly not tasting it at all. Merlin took this as a good sign, though, and sat down at the table. Gaius offered a slight smile before taking his leave. 

Merlin watched Arthur eat the rest of the roll, making sure he finished it. He handed Arthur a glass of water, probably one of the last to come through before the pump stopped working. “Arthur…”

“Don’t, Merlin,” Arthur responded quickly. He picked up a couple of grapes and popped them into his mouth. 

“I was going to ask if you wanted some company,” Merlin said quietly. 

“I’m not going to make you leave,” Arthur replied. He said it so quietly that Merlin almost didn’t hear him. He took it as a good sign though, that Arthur wasn’t going to yell at him for staying. 

Merlin stayed most of the afternoon. Arthur didn’t move much, but he did finish most of his breakfast before the sun started to make its descent in the sky. At one point, he got up to put a shirt on, but returned back to his seat at the table. Merlin didn’t move much either, but followed Arthur with his eyes. When he felt himself thinking about Arthur in anyway that could be construed as sexual he mentally slapped himself. He was determined to be there for Arthur as a friend only, and that was it. If Arthur wanted more, he wasn’t going to protest but…

“You are a good friend, Merlin,” Arthur said suddenly.

“Thank you sire,” Merlin said, blushing lightly. He started fidgeting with the end of his scarf after the first two hours passed. To his surprise, no one came in looking for the king. Either Arthur put the do not disturb order out or the impending famine was the only thing happening in Camelot today. 

As the third hour of silence started, Merlin noticed Arthur playing with the ring that used to be on his thumb. He rolled it back and forth, watching the sides spin slowly. Merlin wondered if Arthur was going to let Gwen be buried with the ring he gave her, or keep it for sentimental reasons. 

“You don’t have to stay if you have other things to do,” Arthur said, interrupting Merlin’s thoughts.

“I don’t need to do anything,” Merlin replied. “Unless Gaius calls for me.”

“I think I’m going to retire for the night, at least,” Arthur replied with a sigh. Merlin glanced out the window quickly - the sun was just starting to set.

“If that is what you wish, sire. I will take my leave,” Merlin stood up and bowed slightly. He passed behind Arthur’s chair and opened the door.

“Merlin,” Arthur blurted out. Merlin paused and turned around, waiting for the end of the sentence. “Thank you,” Arthur finished softly.

“Anytime,” Merlin responded. He gave a slight smile before leaving the room and letting the door close behind him. 

As he was walking back to his room, he lingered on the words Arthur spoke to him. It made him feel good; it made him feel like he was helping Arthur instead of sitting there useless. He allowed a small smile to show on his face.


	2. The hunt

Everyone in the castle gathered in the throne room for Gwen’s ceremony. Arthur stood in front of his throne, crown atop his head. Gwen’s body lay on top of a stone slab, although she would be carried to the underground crypt after the ceremony had ended. Some whispered that it wasn’t where she belonged, because she wasn’t of noble birth, but one glance at Arthur silenced their whispers. 

Merlin hung near the back, where the servants were supposed to be, but he still had a clear view of the room. Gwen was wearing her loveliest dress and her body was scattered with rose petals. She wore the queen’s crown on her head for the ceremony only, but it seemed to befit her even in death. There was a smile on her face, no trace of the pain that Morgana had surely caused her. Merlin was grateful for that, because he wasn’t sure Arthur could bear looking at Gwen’s face if she showed any sign of having been in pain. He silently thanked Gaius for the wonderful job he did preparing her body.

Arthur silently cried during the entire ceremony. Merlin knew that he wished he could hide it, but his tears were proof of the pain he was in. 

After the ceremony completed, Arthur picked a rose from one of the bunches laid by the platform holding Gwen’s body and placed it on her chest. Many other subjects followed suit, until Gwen was hardly discernible under the flowers. The trumpet sounded, and people bowed before taking their leave. Soon the only people remaining in the room were Arthur and Merlin.

“She looks so beautiful,” Arthur whispered, tracing Gwen’s face with the back of his hand. 

“She does indeed,” Merlin affirmed, standing behind Arthur. 

Arthur whipped around and faced Merlin suddenly. Merlin started to step back instinctively but stopped when Arthur approached him slowly. Unsure of what was happening, the young warlock stood there and waited to see what would happen. Arthur simply walked close enough that he could lean his head inside the crook of Merlin’s shoulder. They stood that way for a number of minutes. Merlin was unsure of what to do so he stayed as still as possible, hoping that this was comforting Arthur at least a little. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, Arthur removed his head from Merlin’s shoulder and turned away without looking at him. He laid a hand on Gwen’s leg before leaving the room without a sound. 

Merlin stood in the room, completely alone. _What just happened?_ he asked himself. Arthur had never shown that kind of affection to him before. Merlin thought about it for a minute and decided that it was only because of the amount of pain he was in. He took one last look at the fallen queen before he also left the room. 

*

Merlin stood outside, preparing horses for departure. Arthur kept true to his word and summoned the knights after Gwen was secured in the underground crypt, near where Uther rested. Among the knights making the perimeter trip were Mordred, Leon, Gwaine, and Percival. Merlin was grateful some of the knights who knew Arthur best were accompanying them. Arthur was still more silent than usual and spaced out for periods of time. As the knights and the king mounted their horses, Merlin made sure that he took his normal place behind Arthur’s horse. 

“We are riding along the perimeter of Camelot and looking for anything out of the ordinary. I mean anything. Don’t leave anything out because you think it might be nothing,” Arthur called behind him. The knights voiced their agreement and the party took off. 

Merlin hoped that they didn’t run into Morgana, because he was the only one who could match her power. He didn’t want to reveal himself now, especially when Gwen was killed by magic, adding the magical death toll in Arthur’s experience to 3. He realized that he probably won’t ever be able to tell Arthur his true self as long as the king held anger in his heart about certain people who use magic wrongly. The trek was slow and arduous, but Merlin was absorbed in his own thoughts most of the time and didn’t notice. 

Even though they started out a little after noon, not one of the knights spotted anything out of the ordinary by nightfall. As camp was made, Arthur sat by the small fire, throwing sticks into the flame. Merlin brought over more branches and set them next to the fire. 

“What will you do if you run into Morgana?” Merlin asked, taking a seat on the ground next to Arthur. 

“I will show her the pain that she has caused me over the years,” Arthur said, gritting his teeth. 

“Not to burst your bubble, but she is a high priestess. You possess no magical powers whatsoever. How will you fight her?” 

“I’ll find a way. Good will out, right?” Arthur responded, throwing some more twigs at the growing flame.

“Yes…” Merlin trailed off, turning to stare into the fire. The constant undulating and twisting of the flame was comforting. “I’ll just get dinner ready,” Merlin said, standing up quickly.

“None for me,” Arthur said quietly.

“I’m not taking no for an answer. You are eating dinner. You definitely didn’t eat lunch today, and you need your strength.”

Arthur turned his head to stare up at Merlin. Merlin saw the pain and suffering smoldering underneath the surface and felt another pang of guilt. He mentally brushed it off, reminding him that this was not his fault, but it still stung. 

“Alright Merlin, for you,” Arthur replied. He went back to watching the fire. 

Merlin nodded to himself and lugged a pot over to the fire. He set up the supports and placed the pot inside so it hung a few inches above the flame. He lifted the lid and stirred the contents inside periodically. Once the stew was bubbling, he brought bowls over from his horses saddle and started ladling the mixture into it. He passed a bowl to Arthur first, to make sure Arthur ate at least a little something. Smelling the food, the knights started to gather around Merlin and there was a bit of chaos as he ladled and passed as fast as he could. When the knights started to disperse, Merlin looked to Arthur and smiled. The king was obediently spooning food into his mouth slowly, although he was still staring at the fire. Merlin spooned what was left at the bottom of the pot into a bowl for himself and sat down to eat. 

*

Merlin awoke with a start, sitting up and looking around wildly. He had been having some sort of bad dream, the remnants of it curling like tendrils around his consciousness. He mentally swatted them away impatiently, not caring to remember what it was about. It was probably what he had been dreaming about for a couple days now; Arthur dying because he wanted to follow Gwen into the afterlife or being hunted down by Morgana, which was usually worse. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes even though it was still dark out. The camp was eerily quiet and he was sure that the knight who was supposed to be on watch fell asleep. The fire had died down to smoldering embers at this point, which offered little light. Merlin looked around and realized that Arthur was missing from his sleeping roll. He glanced around the camp and could just make out a figure sitting on the outer rim of camp. He dragged himself out of his own roll and walked over to the figure.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked Arthur.

“I haven’t. Not since…” Arthur trailed off, not needing to finish.

“That’s not good. A king needs his beauty sleep,” Merlin joked half-heartedly, hoping it would cheer the king up.

“I’ll be fine Merlin.” Arthur was clamming up again. Merlin wanted to slap himself for thinking that Arthur would find that funny. 

“Listen…I’m here if you need to talk. Everyone needs to talk…eventually,” Merlin said. He studied Arthur’s face intently for any sign of acquiescence. He saw none, which disappointed him. But his mind did point out the defined jaw bone that ended at Arthur’s chin, which was right below his lips…

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Arthur replied, snapping Merlin out of his thoughts. Merlin blushed, trying to dispel the thoughts from his head, and he was glad it was dark out. 

Slowly, the sky started to lighten. Some of the knights started to stir. 

“Just think about it, okay?” Merlin asked in a low voice. “I don’t want you to constantly beat yourself up over this.”

“It’s my fault Merlin,” Arthur said with sudden severity. “Why did I let her go out with only a handful of knights? I knew Morgana was hanging around…becoming more bold with her actions…it’s my fault.”

“It’s not,” Merlin said just as forcefully. He put his hand on Arthur’s, looking into the king’s eyes. “It’s no one else’s fault but Morgana, and the hatred she carries for all of us.”

“I know,” Arthur replied. Merlin could see the tears starting to form, threatening to spill over. “I know that. I just can’t…I can’t forgive myself.” Arthur whispered the last part, so low that Merlin leaned in closer in order to hear it. 

“You have to, it’s the only way you will be able to move on. And when your time comes, you will be with her again, someday,” Merlin responded. 

Arthur nodded and held Merlin’s gaze for a long time. Merlin thought he could see something stir behind those irises, but wasn’t sure what. Was it hope? Or maybe affection…he couldn’t be sure. But there was definitely something there. He was suddenly aware of the heat the two of them were sharing between their hands touching. Merlin’s heart started pounding in his chest and it sounded so loud; he wondered why Arthur couldn’t hear anything. 

“Mornin’,” Leon said as he stood up to stretch. 

Merlin retracted his hand quickly and looked away from Arthur, ashamed for some reason. He heard Arthur stand up but stayed where he was. The other knights began to awake as well and soon the camp was bustling with activity. Merlin busied himself with cleaning the dinner pot and packing everything back onto his horse. Within the hour everyone was ready to continue the patrol. 

“We should make it most of the way around the perimeter of Camelot today. Remember, anything out of the ordinary you say something,” Arthur said before the group galloped off. 

Merlin began scanning the forest as the group continued on. He saw that most of the knights were doing the same, but having a hard time keeping their horse on a straight trajectory. Merlin chuckled to himself softly. Arthur rode at the head of the pack and Merlin could see him diligently keeping an eye on the surrounding area. Something moved in the corner of his eye and Merlin whipped his head around to see _someone_ retreating into the trees.

“Arthur!” Merlin called out quickly. Arthur turned his horse around as Merlin’s came to a stop. Merlin pointed to where he saw the figure, now gone. “Someone went that way. I don’t know who.”

“Follow me,” Arthur motioned to Leon, Gwaine and Merlin. The four dismounted and ran into the woods, leaving Mordred and Percival with the horses. Merlin stayed back aways and used his magic to locate the person. In his mind he could see the path the figure took, winding through the trees, and saw he or she was wearing a black cloak.

 _It couldn’t be Morgana could it?_ Merlin asked himself. He was praying it wasn’t and caught up to the rest of the group. 

“This way,” Merlin pointed to the right. The group followed his path without question. They had only gone about sixty feet when all four of them were lifted off the ground and slammed into trees. Merlin looked around wildly as he fell and thought he saw Morgana standing a few feet from them. He tried to stand up quickly to block another attack but was forced to his knees. It took all of his magical strength to resist the urge to stay down.

“You are strong,” Morgana commented lightly. She stepped out into the small clearing and smirked.

The other knights were struggling to get to their feet but failed. Arthur alone forced his way into a sitting position and glared at Morgana. Merlin never thought he would see such hatred emanating from Arthur as he saw right now. 

“Oh Arthur, why so angry?” Morgana jerked her head back and Arthur flew backwards into Merlin. 

Merlin was knocked back down to the ground, unable to breathe. Arthur’s weight was fully on his ribcage and he seemed to not be able to move. 

“Morgana, you will pay for this,” Arthur said, his jaw clenched.

“I’d like to see you try,” she replied. She lifted her hands and Gwaine and Leon rose with them. She spread her arms wide and the two knights were deposited high up in different trees. Arthur and Merlin lay on the ground, helpless. 

Merlin, determined to do something, directed his gaze at Morgana and mentally threw his hand up in the air. Morgana’s smirk disappeared as she flew backwards onto the ground. This allowed Arthur to scramble up into a standing position.

“Who did that?!” he demanded, looking around for their savior.

“Dunno,” Merlin responded, also trying to stand up. 

Morgana was already on her feet, stomping back angrily. “Who was it? Is Emrys helping you?”

“Who in the world is Emrys?” Arthur asked. He had his sword out of its sheath and was pointing it at the high priestess angrily. 

“He’s here isn’t he?! Show yourself!” Morgana shouted at the trees. 

Merlin winced and tried to look not guilty. He stood behind Arthur and glanced up at the trees. He could see Gwaine struggling to climb his way down without falling completely, and Leon was doing the same. He prayed silently that they made it down okay. Morgana was circling the clearing quickly, looking for the elusive Emrys. 

“Hey, I’m right here,” Arthur shouted, approaching Morgana. She whipped her head around and sent Arthur stumbling back a couple feet. “You hide behind your magic! Without your magic you would be nothing!” Arthur exploded. He used his sword to prop himself back on his feet. “Face me like a normal person!”

“I do not hide behind anything,” Morgana spat. “Magic is a part of me, it’s who I am. How could you possibly understand?!”

“What I understand is how you have taken two people I loved away from me with your evil magic!” Arthur said, the rage boiling to the surface. 

Merlin watched the exchange apprehensively. He knew that if Morgana made any sudden moves without him being aware of it, Arthur was doomed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Leon drop down to the ground, followed slightly after by Gwaine. He was semi-relieved they were down okay, but still kept his mind focused on Arthur. He and Morgana were circling each other, screaming different things at the other. Merlin sensed a change in the air and began to feel nervous; Morgana was definitely planning something. 

“Be careful Arthur,” Merlin warned. He wasn’t sure Arthur even heard him over all the exchanges him and Morgana were sharing. 

“I’m tired of this,” Morgana yelled. The ground started to shake and break apart. The ground gave way right under Arthur and he started to fall into the dark abyss that appeared underneath the soil. 

“No!” Merlin yelled. He ran to the edge of the crevice and grabbed Arthur’s hand tightly. The king swayed back and forth a couple times before resting against the loosened soil. “Hang on!” Merlin said desperately. He felt Arthur slipping from his grasp.

“I can’t Merlin,” Arthur gasped. “Just let me go.”

“No! I won’t!” Merlin cried, holding Arthur’s hand with both of his. Unfortunately, Arthur’s hand was too slippery and he fell out of Merlin’s hands into the darkness. Without a second thought, Merlin jumped in after him, determined to prevent him from whatever lay below them. 

“Merlin, what are you doing!?” Arthur yelled from below him.

“Protecting you!” Merlin yelled back. He used his magic to propel him forward slightly so that he was level with Arthur. It was difficult to see anything in the deepening darkness but he could vaguely make out Arthur’s quickly falling form. He pushed ahead a little farther and positioned himself so that he was underneath the young king. 

“You are going to get crushed, if we ever land at all!” Arthur groaned, but was unable to do anything. 

“It’s got to end somewhere!” Merlin called up. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Merlin felt the impending ground rising up to meet him. Finally he thought. He didn’t know if it was soft, hard, wet, spongy, or whatever; but he was determined to make sure he took the fall and not Arthur. 

“We’re going to hit the ground,” he yelled, knowing Arthur would hear him fine.  
Before Arthur could reply, Merlin’s back smacked into the ground with a large thump. The wind was knocked out of him and his head snapped back dangerously hard. Before he could even react, Arthur landed on top of him at a forceful rate. The last thing Merlin saw before he blacked out was Arthur’s messy blond hair in his face.


	3. Traveling Back

Arthur scrambled off of Merlin as fast as he could. He turned and stared at the unconscious servant, his face betraying his worry. 

“Merlin!” he said urgently. He shook him gently but it was no use. “Why’d you have to do that?” Arthur asked, more to himself. “I could have taken the fall…”

Arthur sat down and took a look at his surroundings for the first time. They were in a dark space that wasn’t very big. He couldn’t see too far in front of his face but from where he sat he couldn’t see an opening. His eyes turned to Merlin without thinking, and he caught himself tracing the contours of his face. _He looks so helpless…_ Arthur thought to himself. He reached over and smoothed some hair out of Merlin’s face, lacking something else to do. He felt something stirring in the pit of his stomach; something he hadn’t felt since…

_No,_ he thought to himself. _This can’t happen, not now._

In order to clear his mind, he stood up and started inspecting the cavern. He ran his hand along the wall, looking for a way out. So far there was none. He had almost searched half of the small space when he felt part of the wall start to give. Arthur gave an extra little push to test the wall and the stones started to crumble. He jumped back, alarmed, but the rest of the wall seemed to remain intact. 

“Looks large enough to crawl through,” Arthur commented to himself. He poked his head in and inspected it. It looked like it went farther than a couple feet so it was a promising way to escape. He returned to Merlin and sat in the dirt, waiting for him to wake up. 

After about an hour, Merlin stirred slightly. Arthur’s ears perked up and he turned his attention to Merlin immediately. 

“Merlin?” he asked tentatively.

“What happened?” Merlin groaned. He started to sit up but decided it was not a good idea at the moment.

“You were an idiot and broke my fall,” Arthur replied. After a slight pause he added, “thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Merlin laughed, then stopped and winced. 

“What is it?” Arthur asked with unmasked concern. 

“Dunno,” Merlin said, touching his midsection gingerly. “Might have broken a couple ribs.”

Arthur opened his mouth to say something unpleasant, but closed his mouth quickly. Instead, he flexed his fingers slowly and placed his hand on Merlin’s chest. 

“Does it hurt here?”

Merlin looked at Arthur in surprise but shook his head. Arthur moved his hand over to Merlin’s left side and pressed gently. He saw Merlin bite back a yelp and he frowned. 

“Your left side then?”

“I guess so,” Merlin replied. 

“I must have hit that first, full impact. You are such an idiot, you know that?” Arthur withdrew his hand and crossed his arms.

“Yes,” Merlin sighed. 

“I think I found a way out,” Arthur gestured to the hole on the other side of the wall. “It seems like it goes all the way through.”

“Let’s go then,” Merlin said and tried scrambling to his feet. He stood up but doubled over in pain, holding his left side. Arthur stood up and frowned. 

“You can’t move around like that.”

“We have to get out of here,” Merlin responded. “I’ll be fine.”

“We have to crawl,” Arthur said, pointing to the small hole. “You can’t do that.”

“I’ll manage,” Merlin replied, walking past Arthur to the hole. He squinted into it and checked to see that he could fit. He turned around and smiled at Arthur before venturing into the hole completely. 

“Gods, Merlin,” Arthur grumbled before continuing after him. 

The hole was small, but the two men fit into it with enough space to move around slightly. Merlin took the crawl slow, but it didn’t bother Arthur. Despite his irritation that Merlin took the fall, he was worried that Merlin was seriously hurt. They shuffled along at a steady pace and Arthur could hear Merlin’s grunts of pain even though he tried to hide it. Arthur almost said something but thought better of it. What could he say?

“I think I see a light,” Merlin called behind him. 

“Good…hopefully it means this tunnel ends.”

After another couple minutes of uncomfortable inching silence, Arthur could also see the light. It was faint, but it was something. He could see Merlin start to crawl faster and he picked up his pace as well. The tunnel slowly started to widen, allowing the men more wiggle room even though they couldn’t stand up yet. 

“Almost there,” Merlin muttered. 

“Be careful,” Arthur warned as they stumbled out into a clearing. Merlin took a couple of steps before collapsing on the ground, clutching his side. Arthur ran over to him and turned him over gently. He massaged Merlin’s side softly and lifted his servant’s blue shirt. Merlin’s entire left side was turning a dark purple-brown mixture. “You need to rest,” Arthur said forcefully.

“We don’t even know where we are,” Merlin protested. 

“You can’t go anywhere in your condition. Tell me what to do,” Arthur replied. His hand moved up to Merlin’s shoulder and pushed him back with surprising strength. 

“We need to make a paste to coat the skin…” Merlin trailed off, wincing.

“What goes into it?” 

“Some herbs…arnica flower, calendula and comfrey leaves.”

“Okay…and what are those?” Arthur tried to commit the names to memory, but they sounded completely foreign to him.

“Arnica flower is large with yellow petals…calendula looks similar but is more orange in color with shorter petals, and comfrey leaves are large and green, usually coming off of small purple buds.”

“Right, yellow petals, orange petals, small purple bud leaves,” Arthur repeated. He looked around his surroundings for the first time and saw to his relief that they had entered on the fringe of a forest. Peering at where they came from, he was surprised to see they had come from far underground. He started to venture into the forest and turned around and gave Merlin a stern look. “Do not move, understand?”

“Okay Arthur,” Merlin replied, moving to lie on his back.

Arthur turned around and walked into the forest. He started hunting immediately for these flowers and herbs, repeating the characteristics so he wouldn’t forget. He hoped the herbs actually resided in this forest, or Merlin would get much worse. After walking a couple feet he spotted a plant that looked yellow. Bending down to look at it, he tried to match it to the description Merlin gave. 

“Seems like it,” Arthur muttered to himself. He picked a handful of flowers and continued his search. Every so often he would inspect the green leaves encroaching on his feet but none of them had wide leaves or were attached to purple bulbs. “Has to be here somewhere..” 

As he was searching, his mind wandered to the wound on Merlin’s side. What if he didn’t find the rest? What if Merlin’s wound got infected? What if he wouldn’t make it? He couldn’t lose someone else…

“Can’t think like that,” Arthur murmured. He swiveled his head around absentmindedly and something caught his eye. A flash of orange. “Aha!” he said aloud. He bent down swiftly and picked a handful of calendula. Within the next fifteen minutes he had found comfrey leaves as well. He made sure he had everything before walking back to where he had left Merlin. When he returned, he found Merlin exactly in the same spot when he left, which made the corners of his mouth tug up slightly.

“Found them,” he said, gently dropping the herbs at Merlin’s feet. “Now what?”

“We need to mash them up with something,” Merlin said slowly, trying to look around.

“I could just use a stick or something, right?” Arthur asked. He stood up and retrieved one quickly. “I guess we could mash it on some leaves.”

“You’ll need water too,” Merlin coughed. 

“Where am I supposed to find water?” Arthur asked in exasperation. 

Merlin looked at Arthur and held his gaze. Arthur saw that he was in pain and felt a stab of guilt. If Merlin hadn’t been trying to save him, he wouldn’t be in pain in the first place. 

“I’ll go look for it,” Arthur sighed. He turned around and went back the way he came. The forest looked lush and crowded with plants, but Arthur didn’t hear any running water. He walked farther than he did last time, searching the ground for mud or any sign of moisture. The ground was completely dry. Arthur sat down and put his head in his hands, trying to think. What could substitute for water? _I could use my saliva I guess_ Arthur thought to himself. _It’s not like he’s going to eat it or anything…_

Merlin watched Arthur curiously as he returned empty handed. “There isn’t any water around,” he shrugged. 

“Ah,” Merlin responded simply. 

“Don’t worry, it’ll work.” 

Arthur gathered some leaves and laid the herbs in a clump. He took the stick and started mashing the leaves and flowers together. He looked at Merlin furtively before welling up saliva in his mouth and spitting it onto the mush. He kept his head down while he worked after that, not wanting to let Merlin see his face flush with embarrassment. Kings do not spit or do any other unkingly things in the presence of others, especially servants. Soon the herb mixture was starting to look like a sort of paste. Arthur tried to secretly spit into the mixture one more time and mashed it with the stick for another couple of minutes before showing it to Merlin.

“Looks good,” Merlin smiled weakly. 

“Alright, lift your shirt,” Arthur said roughly. Merlin complied silently, exposing the bruised flesh. Arthur shifted over with the mixture and removed his glove. He scooped up some of the paste in his hand and started slathering it onto Merlin’s side. Merlin emitted a light moan, immediately feeling a tiny bit of relief. The reaction startled the king and he almost dropped the mixture. He tried to steady his hands as he continued to place the concoction over the injured area. “Does it feel better?”

“Yes,” Merlin gasped. 

“Did I hurt you?” Arthur pulled his hand back quickly. 

“Yes, but it’s helping.”

Arthur nodded and continued until he was scraping the rest off of the leaf. He noticed that Merlin was still holding up his shirt and placed the leaf on the ground. He gently eased Merlin into a sitting position and started to remove his servants shirt.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asked.

“Removing your shirt. We don’t want to get that gross stuff on it,” Arthur responded, teasing Merlin’s shirt off slowly so he didn’t jar the injury too much. 

“Thanks,” Merlin replied. Arthur didn’t respond but placed the shirt next to him and slowly placed him back on the ground. 

Arthur scooted back from Merlin and started to gather sticks from the close vicinity to make a fire. The sky had started to darken and he wanted to keep the area warm. 

Merlin’s eyes fluttered closed and Arthur watched him for a moment, concerned. He sighed with relief when he saw the steady rise and fall of Merlin’s chest and went back to making the fire. In a couple of minutes the fire was blazing bright and Arthur was warming his hands. Normally Merlin would be doing all these things. Arthur was reminded of how quickly things could change. Just a couple days ago he was completely happy, with Gwen and Merlin at his side and now…

He shook his head quickly to clear those thoughts. He still had Merlin, and that would have to do for now. Merlin just had to get better, and then they could return to Camelot and start planning their next attack against Morgana. _Morgana,_ Arthur thought, narrowing his eyes. He would make her pay for all that she did. Her hatred and blind anger had practically destroyed the entire realm. 

Arthur glanced back at Merlin and noticed he was slightly shivering. He hadn’t realized the temperature had dropped since nightfall. He stood up, stretched, and started to move Merlin closer to the fire. He checked the paste on Merlin’s side and noticed that it was still slightly slimy. Putting his shirt back on was not an option at this point. Arthur hoped that the fire would be enough to warm his servant through the night. When he sat back down, he sat closer to Merlin, just in case.

*

Arthur awoke with a start with his arm outstretched into the air. He sat up and rubbed his face hard, trying to get the image of his dream out of his mind. He had been chasing Gwen across a field until Morgana appeared. The ground cracked open and Gwen disappeared into the crevice. He ran over to the gap as fast as he could but instead of Gwen hanging there it was Merlin. He reached down to pull Merlin in but instead Merlin slipped, disappearing into the darkness. That was when Arthur had bolted off the ground and woke up. He turned his head quickly to make sure Merlin was still there, and he was. Arthur laid back on the ground with a sigh. Why had Gwen turned into Merlin? 

Seeing her again had made the king so happy. He had forgotten present time and focused on the memories he held. But the illusion was shattered when Merlin appeared. Why was he there? Only because he saved Arthur from a similar fate? _I guess so…I might not have made it if Merlin hadn’t been there._ The sky was still dark but was slowly lightening, so Arthur figured it was almost dawn. _I wonder what the other knights are doing_ Arthur asked himself curiously. He had forgotten all about them in the chaos that ensued yesterday. He hoped they had started going back to Camelot, so it was better protected without him there. 

“Arthur…” Merlin whispered in the darkness. 

“Merlin?” 

There was no response. Arthur turned back to Merlin and saw that he was still asleep. Why was he saying his name in his sleep?

“Arthur please…” 

Arthur found himself blushing and turning away, though he didn’t know why. Merlin could be doing anything in his dream, right? Merlin grunted and Arthur jumped up and backed away. He couldn’t be hearing his right now. _You’re jumping to conclusions_ Arthur chided himself. _You don’t know what he’s dreaming about._

“Merlin,” Arthur said loudly, hoping it would wake him up. No luck. He sighed and went around picking up sticks to rekindle the fire. As he sat down and started the spark going again, Merlin moaned and tried to roll over. “Oh no you don’t,” Arthur said aloud. He bent behind Merlin and put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him from rubbing his bruised wound in the dirt. 

“Huh?” Merlin asked sleepily. He opened his eyes wide and looked around. “What happened?”

“You tried to ah…roll on your other side. That would have been extremely painful,” Arthur said with a cough in between. He decided not to mention that Merlin said his name in his sleep. That would be extremely awkward. 

“Oh. Thanks,” Merlin replied. The two men stared at each other for another couple minutes before Arthur looked away and into the growing fire. 

“Do you think you can walk?”

“I dunno,” Merlin replied. “We can try.”

Arthur nodded and put one arm under each of Merlin’s, helping him up slowly. 

“I’m not going to let go until you think you can stand alone,” Arthur said in a low voice. Merlin nodded, steadying his balance. He smiled inwardly, liking the feel of Arthur’s chest against his back. He could almost feel Arthur’s muscles tensing as he held Merlin in place. 

“You…can let go,” Merlin said hesitantly. As Arthur’s warmth left him Merlin felt a little sad, but knew he had no right to feel that way. Arthur wasn’t his. He had no claim over him but still couldn’t help feeling this way. 

“Alright,” Arthur replied. He slowly released his grip on Merlin and was relieved to see that his servant didn’t waver or fall over in pain. 

“I feel alright actually,” Merlin said, also surprised. “I can’t stand upright all the way but I can definitely walk.”

“Great, let’s go then.”

Arthur stamped out the fire and pulled his gloves back on. Merlin picked up his shirt and held it in his hands, staring at it.

“What?”

“Well…my ribs are still covered so I guess I can keep my shirt off.”

Arthur looked at Merlin’s injured area and noticed that the paste he made was slowly disappearing. He could still see the large bruise underneath, but it looked a little better than before. At least he could walk now. 

“Let’s just get started and next time we stop you should be able to put it back on,” Arthur said without looking at Merlin. He started off in the direction he went when he was picking herbs because it was almost familiar to him. He didn’t know where they were or what direction they were going until the sun rose. 

The two men walked in silence for awhile. Merlin trailed behind Arthur slightly, but Arthur was sure to check behind him periodically to make sure Merlin was alright. 

Merlin favored his left side, trying not to jar his rib area too much. It was still insanely painful, but at least it was bearable. He missed Gaius and his healing expertise. He also missed his bed. His mind took the leap from his bed to Arthur in his bed, nursing him back to health. Merlin shook these thoughts out of his head quickly. 

Arthur’s spirits began to lighten with the sky. He saw they had started heading east, which was the correct direction if they wanted to return to Camelot. 

“Good news, we don’t have to turn around,” he said to Merlin with a smile. Merlin returned the smile, grateful Arthur had picked the right way to travel. 

The next few hours passed in complete silence. Each of the men were absorbed in their own thoughts, leaving little room to communicate. Arthur spent half the time wondering what Merlin was dreaming about and the other half still thinking about Gwen. He was insatiably curious but there was no good way to bring that up in conversation. 

Merlin stumbled over the uneven ground a couple of times, causing him to practically bowl Arthur over and causing pain to shoot up and down his left side. Eventually, Arthur slowed his pace down and made Merlin lean on him for support. Slowly, the duo made it out of the dense foliage and into a large field. 

“I think I know where we are,” Merlin said, surprising himself. 

“Where?”

“About a day’s ride from Camelot…that way,” Merlin pointed in the direction they were traveling in anyway. 

“Why does this place not look familiar to me?” Arthur asked, more to himself. 

“I took this way when I first traveled to Camelot from my village.”

Arthur glanced sideways at his servant and saw Merlin was stuck in old memories. He had never asked about Merlin’s first trek to Camelot and how he felt about leaving home. They had traveled there once, maybe twice, but that was a long time ago. Arthur’s first memories of Merlin were of Merlin taunting him in the square and then saving his life. He seemed to be doing a lot more of that recently, which made the king wonder if he ever underestimated Merlin. 

“Let’s get started then. A day’s ride is about a two day walk.”

Arthur and Merlin started crossing the field slowly but surely. The grass was high and made them walk slow due to Merlin’s injury. When the sun reached the center of the sky, the two men stopped to rest. 

“We haven’t anything to eat,” Merlin realized after catching his breath.

“Hungry?” Arthur asked, looking at him.

“Aren’t you?”

“I have gone some time without food on the battlefield, although I’ve always had servants to get some for me…” he trailed off and gave Merlin an odd look. “Don’t go do that.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Merlin lay on his right side, looking at the bruise that was still obvious against his stark white skin.

“I think you can put your shirt back on,” Arthur said, inspecting the wound. “The mixture has disappeared so it won’t stick.”

“Alright,” Merlin took his shirt out of where he looped it on his pants and started to pull it on. He grimaced and whimpered in pain when he raised his left arm, stretching the broken ribs.

“Here, let me,” Arthur gently pulled the sleeve into Merlin’s left arm and pushed it over his head. He tugged the shirt over Merlin’s midsection and made sure his servant’s scarf fell on top of the shirt. “There, you look good as new.”

“I don’t feel like it,” Merlin mumbled. Arthur smiled and ruffled Merlin’s hair a little, then stood up.

“I’m going to try to find something to eat. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, you’re going to need it,” Merlin grinned.

“Shut up Merlin.”

Arthur walked away and Merlin watched him go, silently wishing him luck. 

*

Merlin was starting to get anxious. It had been a couple hours and Arthur had not returned. The sun was traveling further in the sky and they still had a long way to go. As the minutes passed, Merlin was having fun imagining the different ways Arthur would attempt to find food to take his mind off things. Arthur was a trained soldier and hunter, but he had no weapons, save his sword. 

“He’s probably running around chasing animals with his sword waving wildly,” Merlin laughed aloud.

“Not exactly,” Arthur replied, coming into Merlin’s line of view. 

Merlin grinned when he saw Arthur carrying two rabbits by the ears. “Got something, huh?”

“Wasn’t too hard…just finding them was the difficult part. There’s hardly anything out here,” Arthur grumbled, sitting next to Merlin. 

“Well we should make a fire I guess,” Merlin shifted, scraping some leaves together. 

“I’ll get some sticks,” Arthur replied. He stood up and started collecting sticks around the area. Merlin peeked at the rabbits and saw that there was blood trickling out of their chests, but otherwise they were unharmed. 

_Not bad for just a sword_ Merlin thought to himself. 

Arthur returned to the site and piled the sticks on top of the leaves. He started trying to get a spark going and blew it to life.

“Should I skin the rabbits?” Merlin asked, reaching for them.

“No, I’ll do it,” Arthur stuck his hand out, placing it on Merlin’s gently. 

“But it’s a servant’s job,” he protested. 

Arthur gave Merlin a look that silenced him immediately. He curled back and watched Arthur work in silence. 

_It’s like being taken care of by my mother_ he thought suddenly. It brought a smile to his lips unconsciously an a light blush across his cheeks. Being taken care of by Arthur…

“What are you smiling at?” Arthur asked curiously.

“Nothing,” Merlin replied quickly, dropping the smile. 

“You are so weird,” the king said, shaking his head.

“Yeah…weird…” Merlin muttered, hiding another smile.


	4. Back Home

After a night’s rest, Merlin and Arthur set out once again for Camelot. Merlin felt much better even if he was still stiff from sleeping on the ground with no packs. 

“We’re only about half a day away, I think,” Merlin said, squinting from the sun. 

“Not too bad,” Arthur replied. Merlin could see the sweat trailing down Arthur’s forehead from the exertion. It made him look even more rugged and sexy…

“I can’t wait to see Gaius,” Merlin said, trying to lift his mind out of the gutter. 

“Yes, he should be able to patch you up satisfactorily. Actually, let’s see how it looks,” Arthur stopped walking and faced Merlin. Merlin watched as Arthur’s hands lifted his shirt up around his armpits. His hands felt coarse but gentle at the same time. 

_Think about picking herbs…Gaius…anything but Arthur damn it_ Merlin squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm his mind. 

“Looks pretty good actually, how does it feel?”

“What?” Merlin asked, snapping out of his own thoughts. 

“How do you feel?” Arthur repeated, raising his eyebrow. 

“Oh, pretty good actually,” Merlin said with a smile.

Arthur nodded, and started walking again. Merlin followed behind slowly, still willing himself not to look at Arthur’s ass as he walked away.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, the two young men spotted the high towers of the Camelot castle peeking up over the trees.

“Finally!” Merlin breathed, wincing slightly as his ribs expanded and contracted. 

“We should be there by nightfall,” Arthur said, hiding his happiness better than Merlin.

 

They reached the lower town by dusk, much to both men’s happiness. After that it was an easy trudge up to the castle steps, where they were greeted by a dozen knights.

“My lord!” Mordred said, his face flooded with relief. “We thought we’d lost you! Percival and Leon are still searching the lands for you.”

“Send word to them immediately ordering them to return. I don’t want them out there with Morgana around. Merlin, can you make it to Gaius’s unaccompanied?”

Mordred glanced at Merlin quizzically but Merlin didn’t acknowledge him. He looked at Arthur and nodded. “I think so.”

“I shall see you tomorrow morning then,” Arthur nodded at Merlin, dismissing him. 

Merlin returned the nod and started up the steps. The close proximity to his warm bed and good food was overwhelming. His body shut down and he collapsed on the stairs. “Sorry…” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

“You are completely helpless, Merlin,” Arthur groaned. He was silently worried about his servant, but didn’t let it show. He knelt down and rolled Merlin onto his back. “Help me Mordred?” 

Mordred nodded silently and the two men hauled Merlin up to a standing position. Together, they helped Merlin up the stairs and into the castle. 

*

“Is he going to be alright?” Arthur asked Gaius. He was pacing around the room impatiently. Merlin was on one of the patient beds in Gaius’s main room. The familiar situation was almost too much for Arthur.

“Yes, he will make a full recovery. The strain must have taken its toll on him,” Gaius replied. 

“Good,” Arthur replied. He stopped pacing and clasped his hands together. “How long will that take?”

“Who knows? Each person heals differently and at their own rate. Be patient, sire. He will be the same old Merlin soon.”

Arthur nodded, not knowing what else to do. “Until then, Gaius.” He bowed slightly and left the room quickly. 

Gaius watched Arthur go and then turned to Merlin, patting his head with a damp cloth. 

“Arthur…” Merlin moaned, turning his head to the side. 

“He’s left, young warlock,” Gaius replied. Merlin opened his eyes slowly and looked around.

“Gaius?”

“Yes. Arthur and Mordred carried you in here and I administered some medicine. From what I can tell…you fractured at least one rib. How did you do it?”

“I…broke Arthur’s fall down a pit. I didn’t want him to get hurt…” Merlin mumbled.

“Morgana?” Gaius asked curiously.

“Yes. We found her and she opened up the earth.”

“We are lucky that you survived then,” Gaius leaned back, musing. 

“At least I’m mostly intact,” Merlin gave his best attempt at a smirk.

“Yes indeed.”

“How is Arthur?” Merlin asked suddenly.

“He is just fine. A little worried about you, but otherwise just fine.”

Merlin gave a sigh of relief and finally relaxed. Arthur was back in Camelot and safe, that’s all that mattered at the moment. 

*

“MERLIN!” Arthur shouted, rubbing the sleep from his face. He covered his mouth suddenly, having temporarily forgotten the events of the previous day. He silently hoped his servant wouldn’t appear and had stayed in bed.

“Yes sire?” Merlin’s voice came through the door as he opened it slowly.

Arthur mentally slapped himself. _Stupid stupid_ he groaned inwardly. 

“Merlin…I didn’t mean to call you. You should go back and rest,” he said, getting out of bed.

“I feel fine,” Merlin said. He fully entered the room and started picking up fallen clothes off the floor. 

Arthur could see that Merlin moved slower than usual and couldn’t bend down completely. He sighed and approached Merlin, shaking his head. “Merlin…”

“Yes…ouch!” Merlin stood up quickly and whacked Arthur’s chin with his head. 

“Geez Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed, rubbing his chin. “You are such a clumsy fool.”

“Sorry,” Merlin replied quietly. 

“What I mean is…you shouldn’t be here,” Arthur started, remembering what he was going to say. “You should be resting. What did Gaius say?”

“I have a cracked rib…and some bruising I guess. But I’ll be fine,” Merlin said dismissively. 

Arthur realized Merlin wasn’t going to shirk his duties to recover completely, which made him rethink all the times he called Merlin a horrible servant. 

“Why don’t you sit down and mend my boots,” Arthur gestured to his boots in the corner. “I have to meet with the council, but I’ll be back soon.”

Merlin nodded as Arthur left the room. He dropped his dismissive demeanor and walked slowly over to the boots and picked them up. He could see holes spotted against the leather; proof that their journey was a rough one. He walked over to an empty chair and sat in it, pulling a boot up to his knee. As he fixed the holes in the boots, he thought back to how Arthur acted after he called him into the room. _He seemed sad somehow…and he asked me to go rest. He never does that…_

“Nah, couldn’t be,” Merlin said aloud. He picked up the other boot and started working on it also. 

“Sire I -” Gwaine entered the room and stopped short. “Oh, it’s you Merlin.”

“Yes just me. Why aren’t you in the council with everyone else?” 

“I’ve just returned. I was coming to tell Arthur that Percival and Leon have come back from patrol. I’ll just go tell him there instead.”

“Tell me what?” Arthur asked. The two turned to see the king standing in the doorway. 

“Sire…Percival and Leon have returned from their search and have news to share,” Gwaine replied.

“Let’s go hear it then,” Arthur said, gesturing out the door. 

Gwaine left the room and Merlin glanced at Arthur. 

“I’ll just come with you then,” Merlin said, standing up quickly. They followed Gwaine to the throne room where Leon and Percival were there waiting for them.

“Your majesty,” the two saluted simultaneously. 

“What news do you bring?” Arthur asked, crossing the hall to his throne. 

“Sire…Morgana is on the move again,” Leon said.

“How did I know it had to do with Morgana…” Arthur mumbled.

“She is amassing another army to the south. We’ve counted only about three hundred so far but more are pouring in daily. We don’t know when she is planning to strike, but it might be soon.”

“Maybe she thought we were done for,” Merlin spoke quietly.

“Perhaps…which is why she’s forming an attack now,” Arthur replied, nodding at Merlin. “Lucky we’re still around.”

“What are your orders sire?” Percival asked.

“Keep your distance, but send patrols to check on the army daily,” Arthur said. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

“Sire…it also seems the famine in the town is improving slightly. The crops have started to grow again and the water is flowing. It might have just been a ploy to get us to seek her out.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Arthur replied. 

“Glad to have you back sire. You too Merlin,” Leon smiled at each of them before leaving the room. Percival and Gwaine bowed and followed Leon out as well. 

“Morgana doesn’t quit does she?” Merlin said.

“Why does she hate this kingdom so?” Arthur replied, wiping his face with his hand.

“She wants magic users to be free to practice their magic as they please. Plus she despised Uther and therefore hates you as well,” Merlin sighed, leaning against a pillar.

“I am not my father,” Arthur said, an edge to his voice.

“I know,” Merlin replied quietly.

Arthur leaned back in his throne chair, lost in his thoughts. Merlin stayed close to Arthur, not knowing what else to do. After some time had passed, Arthur snapped out of his trance and noticed Merlin still standing there.

“You’re still here?” he asked in surprise.

“You shouldn’t be alone right now,” Merlin replied. 

“Sometimes you really surprise me Merlin,” Arthur said with a hint of a smile. 

“I’ve got a lot more surprises up my sleeve,” Merlin grinned. 

Arthur stared at Merlin and couldn’t help but get lost in his wonderful, blue eyes. He felt them pulling him in deeper and enveloping him in a wonderful warmth. _Has his eyes ever done that before?_

“Merlin…” Arthur started, not really sure what he was going to say.

“Yes?” 

“Um…that is…how are you feeling?” Arthur blurted out. He mentally cursed himself for sounding so stupid.

“Fine, just fine,” Merlin responded, a little startled. Why did he keep asking if he was okay? 

“Yes, well, that’s good. Merlin,” Arthur started again, trying to tear himself away from staring at his servant. 

“What is it sire?”

“…Leave me please. I’ll see you for dinner.”

Merlin nodded and left the room quickly. Arthur watched him go, angry that he fumbled over his words in front of his servant but confused as to why he felt this way. _I loved Gwen…why am I having these feelings for Merlin? We’ve always bantered back and forth but now it feels more…sexual somehow._ He sighed and bent over, putting his head between his knees. _This can’t be happening to me…_

He spent the next couple hours alone, fighting with himself on how he felt about Merlin. At the end of the two hour span he still hadn’t come to a conclusion. He had also been grappling with confronting Merlin about it; at least he had decided no on that point. He didn’t want to freak Merlin out and wasn’t even sure he felt the same way. A thought suddenly occurred to him. _I’ll go to the tavern and sort out my thoughts over some mugs of ale_ Arthur thought to himself. He stood up and traveled back to his chambers, where he changed into his every day clothes and left the castle. 

The tavern was a bustling with the normal patrons and gamblers drinking loudly and singing various bar songs. Arthur walked in slowly and tried not to be noticed as he approached the bar. 

“Your majesty!” the barman said with a large smile on his face. “What can I get ya?”

“A mug of ale please,” Arthur said, placing some coins on the bar. The barman collected the coins and nodded, leaving immediately. When the barman returned, Arthur downed the entire mug immediately, letting the bubbly alcohol coat his throat. “Another?”

The barman just grinned and returned with another within a few minutes. Arthur took his time with this one, actually stopping to taste the slightly sweet but surprisingly bitter ale. He wasn’t sure how long passed between his first mug and his fifth, but he was feeling giddy and invincible.

“Would your majesty like to play a drinking game?” a man asked. Arthur turned around and saw a short, portly man smiling at him. The man gestured to a back table where mugs were being set out on opposite ends and crowds of people were gathering. 

“Sure, why not?” Arthur said. He followed the man to the table were the mugs were lined up in rows of three by three. “How is this game played?”

“The object of the game is to try to toss coins into the opponent’s mugs. If you make a shot, the opposing team has to drink from their own mugs. The winner gets to keep all the coins in each mug - we’ll split the profits.”

“Sounds easy enough,” the king replied. The groups of men started to split into teams, some of them arguing about being on Arthur’s team. Once the teams were established, the game began. Arthur was first to go on his team, and even though he was 5 ales in, his skills felt sharp. He took a coin out of his pocket and took careful aim. The coin sailed through the air and landed in the closest opponents mug. His team cheered and Arthur smiled. He was good at this game!

The other team was just as good, though. Arthur went through another three ales before the game was over. As the night wore on and he became more intoxicated, his skills seemed to disappear.

“What’s wrong your majesty?” the portly man joked, nudging Arthur in the ribs. 

“I uh…can’t seem to…catch my feet,” Arthur mumbled, staggering backwards. 

“Poor king can’t hold a couple ales!” the crowd laughed and let Arthur be for awhile. The king rolled his head side to side, unable to stand. 

*

Merlin entered Arthur’s chambers with a plate of hot food, ready to ignore what happened in the throne room earlier. When he looked around, Arthur was nowhere to be found. He left the food on the table and searched the castle, looking for the king. Everywhere he asked no one had seen him since that afternoon. He returned to Gaius’s chambers with the same question.

“Where could he be?” 

“Perhaps he wanted some solitude for awhile,” Gaius replied, shrugging.

“This isn’t like him. I said he shouldn’t be alone. I should have protested when he said to leave him,” Merlin said, frantically trying to think where Arthur went. “I have to try outside the castle.”

“Merlin…” Gaius warned. 

“I’ll be right back I promise,” Merlin said, putting on his coat. He left the room after offering Gaius a quick smile. 

Merlin trudged through the outer area, searching for the king to no avail. He heard loud noises coming from the tavern and thought _Why the hell not?_ and decided to search it out. Upon entering he saw a very strange sight. Some of the bar patrons were carrying Arthur around on their shoulders, chanting his name. 

“Arthur?” Merlin asked incredulously.

“Merlin!” Arthur slurred happily. “What brings you here…this…evening?”

“Arthur…what are you doing?” Merlin asked, helping Arthur back onto the floor. Arthur immediately stumbled and fell into Merlin’s arms, laughing. 

“I’m playing a game…or at least I was…hey, did we win?” Arthur tried to turn around to ask the men he was playing with earlier.

“Sure, sire! Every last coin!” a man yelled from the crowd.

“See? We won!” Arthur grinned. 

“Lovely…why did you come here in the first place?”

“I wanted…um…well I wanted something…” Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think. 

“Come on…let’s get you home,” Merlin said. He ducked his head under Arthur’s arm and helped him out of the tavern. 

As they stumbled into the street, it took all of Merlin’s strength to keep Arthur from falling over. Arthur kept laughing and zig zagging over the cobbled streets.

“Could you try to walk in a straight line?” Merlin said, slightly aggravated. 

“Why? This is more fun!” Arthur broke free from Merlin’s grip and started stumbling around on his own. He tripped over his own feet and sprawled onto the ground, still laughing. 

“You are a real piece of work,” Merlin sighed, bending down to help him.

“Oh, lighten up Merlin,” Arthur said. Merlin finally got Arthur on his feet again and they started the slow walk back to the castle. 

 

Once they were inside the castle it was much easier to get Arthur into the royal chambers. Merlin dumped Arthur onto his bed and started removing his shoes and socks. 

“What are you doing?” Arthur asked, his eyes half closed. 

“Getting you ready for bed,” Merlin replied, still working. Arthur closed his eyes and moaned.

“Oh, that doesn’t feel good.”

“You drank too much,” Merlin responded. “Sit up.”

Merlin pushed Arthur into a sitting position and pulled the king’s shirt off slowly. He eased Arthur back onto the pillows and hung his clothes on the banister. He turned to leave but was stopped by Arthur saying his name. 

“Merlin…stay with me?”

Merlin turned around and saw Arthur’s arms outstretched, reaching for him. He reluctantly walked back to the bed and sat down next to the king. Arthur looked at him drunkenly and patted the empty space next to him. Merlin laid back hesitantly so that he was facing Arthur, parallel to him. 

“What are we doing sire?”

“Just…laying here,” Arthur said, his eyes still half closed. Merlin tried not to enjoy this too much - it was like a dream come true, sans Arthur drunk. Suddenly, without warning, Arthur leaned forward and planted a sloppy, drunken kiss on Merlin’s lips. 

“A-Arthur!” Merlin exclaimed, completely taken by surprise. 

“What?” Arthur asked, leaning in again. 

“N-nothing…” Merlin replied, letting Arthur kiss him again. This time it was gentler, more loving; less like the drunken mess from before. Even though the king was drunk he took charge immediately, coaxing Merlin’s lips open with his tongue and slowly probing the inside of Merlin’s mouth. Merlin closed his eyes and it was like one of his fantasies that had been plaguing him for months, except it was real this time. He returned the kiss in earnest, pushing back against Arthur and pushing his tongue into Arthur’s mouth as well. For a while the room was silent, the two men sharing blissful pleasure with each other. 

Finally, Arthur pulled away trying to focus on Merlin’s head but failing. “I think I need…something…” Arthur bolted out of bed and ran to a basin in the corner, where he threw up all the ale he had drank that night. Merlin winced at the sound but didn’t leave the bed, waiting for Arthur to return. After a few minutes, he did return, and climbed in next to Merlin to snuggle up against him. Merlin loved the feeling of Arthur’s body warmth against his, and decided to indulge him for the night and not leave. He quickly wiggled out of his boots and let them fall onto the floor. He leaned into Arthur and planted one last kiss on his forehead before drifting off to sleep. 

 

The next morning Arthur awoke with a pounding headache. He moaned and rolled onto his back, massaging his head gingerly. He heard a sound coming from next to him and turned to see Merlin there, still deep asleep. He stared for a moment in complete disbelief. Why was Merlin here? What happened last night?

Arthur went through everything he remembered from the previous night. He remembered entering the tavern and playing a game with the patrons inside. He remembered Merlin coming to get him and returning to the room…then…

“Oh my god,” he said aloud. Images from what happened in his bedroom resurfaced, making him blush and turn away from the sleeping form of Merlin. _What have I done?!_

“Awake?” Merlin asked sleepily, looking at Arthur’s back.

“Yes…” Arthur replied hesitantly, still not turning around. 

“How do you feel?”

Even without hearing his voice, Arthur could tell his servant was mocking him. “A headache, but otherwise I’m…fine.”

“That’s good to hear. I thought it would be much worse with how much you thew up last night. Speaking of which, I should go…clean that up,” Merlin said with a grimace. Arthur heard him slid out of the bed and turned around to see him tugging his boots back on. His hair was slightly messy from sleep and his clothes were slightly rumpled, but Arthur had never seen him look more attractive. Merlin crossed over wordlessly to the basin that Arthur had used in haste last night, peering into it. “Geez Arthur…what did you drink last night?”

“Um…whatever ale I was served I guess,” Arthur said, trying to remember. When did he throw up? “Merlin…”

“Yeah, I know,” Merlin said, turning to face Arthur. His eyes told Arthur that he didn’t need to voice his thought. Merlin wouldn’t speak about what happened last night unless Arthur wanted to. “I’ll be back with your breakfast sire.”

Arthur watched Merlin leave the room, lugging the basin behind him and crinkling his nose. The king sat back down on the bed and tried to think. _What should I do about this? I hadn’t decided anything…and then drunk me thinks it’s a good idea to kiss Merlin all night…_

He stood up and went over to the shirt he wore last night, tugging it back on. He felt a little better completely covered but not much. He went over the facts in his head: he went to the tavern, he was roped into a drinking game that he apparently won, Merlin came to get him and took him home, he asked Merlin to stay with him, he initiated a make-out session that lasted a while, and finally, Merlin spent the _night._ Arthur groaned at the last part audibly. Merlin had slept with him. In his bed. Right next to him. All night. After making out for who knows how long. Arthur could not just pretend this didn’t happen. He could partially blame it on the alcohol but everyone knows that intoxication brings out your deepest desires, which meant his secret was out. The fact that Merlin didn’t yell or pull away meant he felt the same, though.

 _That’s good right? He likes you too_ Arthur told himself. That was the only upside to the events of last night. The images kept replaying in his head as if trying to haunt him, but he found himself becoming less and less ashamed of what happened. He liked Merlin. Merlin liked him. He was still torn up inside about Gwen’s death, but maybe Merlin could help with that. It’s not like he loved Merlin or anything. 

“Breakfast, sire,” Merlin said, coming back into the room. He set a plate on the table and stood patiently, waiting.

“Merlin,” Arthur started, then stopped. How should he say this? 

“Sire?” Merlin asked innocently. 

“Merlin…I, well to put it in plain terms, I like you,” the king said rather quickly.

“Sorry?”

“I am…attracted to you. I gather you feel the same since you consented last night.” Arthur eyed Merlin curiously as he sat down to eat. The servant stared at Arthur, slightly confused. He hadn’t expected Arthur to come out and say it like that. 

“I uh…yeah, I like you too,” Merlin responded, blushing slightly. It was the first time he admitted that out loud, and he was sure it was the same for Arthur. 

“Sit.” Arthur motioned to the empty seat at the table. Merlin complied hesitantly, taking the seat across from Arthur. They stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say next. “We kind of jumped ahead of most…normal relationships,” Arthur said. More images of last night jumped through his mind. 

“Yes…not necessarily a bad thing though,” Merlin replied. There was more silence. 

“Why don’t we…not tell anyone for now,” Arthur said finally. Merlin nodded, understanding why this was necessary.

“Would you like me to leave you be, sire?” Merlin asked. 

“You don’t have to call me that you know,” Arthur said. “You can just call me Arthur.” Merlin saying sire now just sounded weird.

“Of course…sire,” Merlin grinned. 

“Shut up Merlin.”


	5. A Storm is Brewing

The next few days were awkward between Merlin and Arthur. They sat mostly in silence when they were in the same room together alone, neither one of them wanting to make the first move sober. Merlin came close once when he was serving Arthur dinner one night and their arms brushed. They stared at each other for a couple of lengthy seconds before looking away and saying nothing. 

“Merlin, what’s wrong?” Gaius asked one afternoon. Merlin was sulking around Gaius’s chambers trying to avoid Arthur. 

“Nothing,” Merlin replied with a sigh. He sat down and started sorting herbs into their correct containers. 

“There has to be something. Even during meetings you are unusually quiet.”

“I just…” Merlin trailed off, unsure if he should tell Gaius or not. Nothing had really happened yet. Just a night of kissing… “nothing, really.”

Gaius raised his eyebrow but said nothing. He turned away and left Merlin to his work.

*

“Merlin!” Arthur called impatiently. He was supposed to be on the training field in ten minutes and he was still in his undergarments. Merlin appeared at the door quickly and looked at Arthur questioningly. “Don’t just stand there, help me get dressed!”

“Oh, right,” Merlin said, jogging over to him. He had completely forgotten about the extra training sessions Arthur had scheduled for the new knights. Morgana had been spotted on the move and the danger was definitely imminent. 

“Sometimes you are completely useless,” Arthur commented. Merlin just stared at him and started putting on the king’s chain mail. “I mean, we haven’t spoken in days. Not really, anyway. And then you can’t even get me ready on time - now I’m going to be late.”

“Sorry sire,” Merlin replied, snapping Arthur’s armor into place. He pulled at a particularly stubborn strap for a couple minutes. 

“I thought I told you not to call me that,” Arthur said, placing his hand over Merlin’s. Merlin stopped pulling at the strap and looked at the king’s hand on his own. He looked up and saw Arthur staring at him intently. 

“Sorry…Arthur.”

They stared at each other for another couple minutes, before Merlin unconsciously leaned in a little closer, craving Arthur’s intimate attention. Arthur leaned in as well and the men’s lips met briefly. They kissed again, longer this time, and Merlin pressed himself against Arthur hard. Arthur snaked his hand into his servant’s hair and grabbed a hold of a bunch of it. He vaguely noticed that Merlin’s hair was silky smooth and slid easily through his fingertips. 

“Mmm…Arthur,” Merlin said, halfheartedly pulling away. “Training session.”

“Damn it,” Arthur groaned. He let go of his hold on Merlin’s hair and stepped back. “We’ll continue this later?”

“Definitely,” Merlin grinned. They left the room together and started walking towards the training field. “Oh man,” Merlin said and turned around, running back to the room.

“What?” Arthur called out.

“Your sword!” Merlin replied over his shoulder, disappearing. 

Arthur looked down and frowned. How had he missed that? The sword was definitely not at his hip. Merlin came back into view holding the sword to his chest. 

“Thank you Merlin,” Arthur said, taking the sword. He placed it in its holder in his belt and they continued to the training field. 

“Sire!” Gwaine called as Arthur and Merlin approached. “We thought you weren’t coming.”

“There was…a little trouble with the armor,” Arthur said after a pause. “Let’s get started.”

Merlin hung back as Arthur and his veteran knights sparred with the new recruits. He mostly watched Arthur move around working up a sweat. He started envisioning Arthur’s body without the armor on, sweaty and against his own body…

“MERLIN!” Arthur shouted. Merlin snapped back to reality and saw Arthur in his face, very angry.

“W-what?” he responded, confused. 

“We’re ready for target practice,” Arthur hissed. “What could you possibly be daydreaming about?”

“Oh, um…nothing,” Merlin replied, blushing. Arthur stared at him for a moment before the anger receded and Merlin noticed a flush dance across Arthur’s cheeks as well. 

“Well, come on, let’s get to it.”

Merlin nodded and picked up the large wooden shield he held in front of him and started running. Arthur and the other knights picked up spears and tried to hit the shield. Each thwack in the shield made Merlin stumble slightly; his ribs were not completely healed yet. After one particularly hard hit Merlin felt the ground give way and he ended up on his back. Arthur rushed over to him and pulled the shield off his body.

“Are you okay?” 

Merlin looked into Arthur’s eyes and saw genuine concern. 

“Yeah, fine.” Merlin stood up and dusted himself off. 

“Well, maybe we should lay off the target practice. You aren’t one hundred percent better yet,” Arthur said, his eyes inadvertently jumping down to Merlin’s left side. Merlin nodded wordlessly and Arthur turned away to help the knights with bows and arrows. Merlin dropped to the ground, exhausted. Even the normal things he used to do before he fell felt difficult now. 

Arthur stole glances at Merlin from time to time, checking on him. He felt bad about making Merlin do target practice so soon after he started to mend. He thought about how Gwen used to oversee their practices sometimes, which made his heart heavy. She used to laugh at Merlin’s antics while target practice was taking place. He missed her laugh. 

The heat from the sun overhead became too much after an hour or so. Arthur dismissed the knights and Merlin accompanied him back into the castle. Back in Arthur’s chambers, Merlin took off the armor and chain mail. He noticed the look on Arthur’s face and asked him if everything was okay.

“It’s just…Guinevere. I missed her out there. I just wish…”

“It’s okay Arthur,” Merlin said. He turned so he was facing the king and pulled him in for a tight hug. “I miss her too.”

Arthur sighed and wrapped his arms around Merlin as well. It felt nice, especially since Merlin was about the same height as him. Gwen was a little shorter than him…

Merlin felt Arthur’s pain and he wished he could do something to help. But there was absolutely nothing he could do but offer kind words and some physical affection, which he was already doing. 

“I’ve been having dreams about her,” Arthur said quietly.

“That’s normal,” Merlin replied, hoping they were good dreams. 

“Sometimes they’re good and sometimes they’re bad. I think the good ones hurt more, because it makes me miss her so much.” Arthur pulled away slightly and looked into Merlin’s eyes. “Could you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Merlin replied, suddenly finding himself out of breath. 

“Could you…maybe stay with me a couple nights? I find myself waking up frequently from these…dreams.”

“Sure,” Merlin replied. He was happy to help Arthur in anyway possible. “Anything for you.”

“Thank you,” Arthur responded with a weak smile. Merlin kissed Arthur lightly and stroked his cheek with his fingertips. 

“I mean it, anything for you,” Merlin whispered. Arthur nodded and kissed Merlin again.   
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. The two men disentangled as quickly as they could as Leon walked into the room.

“Am I…interrupting something?” Leon asked. 

Merlin and Arthur looked at each other guiltily, trying to come up with an excuse. 

“We were just…” Merlin started, not sure of where he was going. 

“I was just teaching Merlin proper manners,” Arthur said, cutting Merlin off. “He needs some extra lessons.”

“Yeah, I’m not very good,” Merlin said a little too happily.

“Yes I’ve noticed,” Leon commented with a smirk. Merlin immediately frowned but Arthur gave him a look that prevented him from saying anything further. 

“Did you need something?” Arthur asked. 

“We’ve noticed some unusual activity on the fringes of the lower town,” Leon said. “Would you like us to investigate?”

“Yes, definitely. Thank you for telling me,” Arthur responded. Leon bowed and left the room quickly. Arthur turned to Merlin who raised his eyebrows.

“Are my manners really that bad?” Merlin asked.

“Only most of the time,” Arthur replied, grinning. 

“It’s a good thing I have a great teacher then,” Merlin replied. He moved in close to Arthur again and leaned close to his ear. “What should we do now?” he whispered.

“Um, well…” Arthur stammered. His breath caught in his chest and his spine tingled from Merlin’s breath on his neck. “What if someone else comes in?”

Merlin pulled away and frowned. “The king’s chambers isn’t a great place to do, well, anything. Why don’t we find somewhere more private?”

Arthur nodded and they left the room silently. They walked along the castle halls until they came upon an empty guest chamber. Merlin turned to Arthur and grinned. 

“Hopefully no one thinks to look for you here.”

“Let’s hope not,” Arthur agreed. 

The king crossed over to the empty bed and sat on it. He watched Merlin walk over and take his place next to Arthur. The air was laced with uncertainty again, now that the possibility of another make out session, or even more, was imminent. 

“I haven’t seen you so tense in awhile,” Merlin commented.

“I’m just ah, not very good at this. You saw me when Gwen…it took me ages to admit anything, let alone make advances.”

Merlin nodded, thinking back to all the times Arthur acted different around Gwen before their marriage. It made sense, Arthur was not the crazy romantic type and had trouble expressing his emotions. Merlin, on the other hand, had no problem with that.

“Just let me handle it then, hm?” Merlin responded. He turned himself so that he was facing Arthur and took Arthur’s face in both of his hands. He stared into Arthur’s eyes momentarily before pulling him into a passionate kiss. The kiss made Arthur melt immediately. It was so charged and fervent that it caught Arthur by surprise. He let Merlin work for a couple seconds before diving in himself, returning the kiss equally as passionate. Momentarily, all thoughts of Gwen were erased from the king’s mind. The only thing that existed at the moment was Merlin and his skilled mouth. 

Merlin removed one of his hands from Arthur’s face and slid it up Arthur’s undershirt. Arthur moaned into their kiss as his servant traced light circles around his stomach and chest. Merlin’s fingers were thin and smooth, making Arthur’s body respond immediately. Merlin gently pushed Arthur back on the sheets, never breaking the kiss. 

In response, Arthur snaked his hands underneath Merlin’s shirt and dragged them up and down his back. Merlin pressed into Arthur roughly, their hips connecting and generating a heat of their own. Arthur bucked his hips back up into Merlin’s; the fabric of their pants stretched thin and providing no relief. Both men’s arousals slid against each other through the fabric, making Merlin kiss Arthur harder and gyrate his hips in a slow rhythmic motion into his partners. 

Arthur broke the kiss momentarily to say, “God Merlin,” before he was swallowed up in Merlin’s inviting lips again. Instead, Arthur tried to match the rhythm Merlin had created with his hips and after a few minutes they were perfectly in sync. Merlin felt his orgasm building with every motion the two made. He grabbed a fistful of Arthur’s hair and left Arthur’s lips. Arthur moaned as Merlin planted kisses down his neck and throat. 

“Merlin,” Arthur panted, wanting to voice his building pleasure but unsure how. Instead, he came inside his pants at the same time Merlin released, causing both Merlin to collapse on the bed next to Arthur, both out of breath.

“Wow,” Merlin said in between breaths. He rolled on his side and stared at Arthur with a smile. 

“Yeah, wow.” Arthur turned his head and saw Merlin flushed and covered in a shiny sheen. He wondered if he looked the same way. Looking down, he saw that his pants were slowly turning darker from the substance in his undergarments. “We didn’t bring a change of clothes, did we?”

“No,” Merlin said with a frown. He checked his pants and they too were starting to become soaked. He slid off the bed and walked over to a dresser drawer, pulling it open. The drawer was empty. He tried all the other drawers before moving onto the armoire. “Here,” he said, pulling out two pairs of plain, dark pants. “I knew they kept some spare pairs here.”

“I wouldn’t have known that, thanks,” Arthur said. He took the pair of pants Merlin handed him and glanced at Merlin furtively. 

“You don’t want me to see you naked,” Merlin said incredulously.

“I’m just…not ready yet,” Arthur replied after a slightly pause. Merlin shrugged and turned around so that he was facing the other way. Both men pulled off their pants quickly and put the dry pair on. Merlin faced Arthur again once they had changed and sat down next to him.

“I’m not going to make you do anything until you’re ready,” he said in a low voice. “I’m not that kind of person.”

“Thanks Merlin,” Arthur replied. “I guess we should get back before someone comes looking for me.”

“I’ll take the other pairs of pants,” Merlin said, reaching for Arthur’s soiled pair. “I am a servant after all.”

*

Merlin returned immediately to Gaius’s room after dropping the pants off in the laundry room. He tried to make it look as inconspicuous as possible and avoided everyone’s glances. After entering the physician’s room though, the smile returned to his face. Gaius greeted him with a quizzical look.

“What? A man can’t be happy?” Merlin asked. 

“There is usually a reason to be that happy,” Gaius replied. 

“Just…good things happened today, that’s all.” Merlin made sure to tone down the smile a little, but it stayed on his face. “Oh, don’t wait up for me tonight. I have some things to do.”

“What things?” Gaius asked, becoming more perplexed by the minute.

“Oh, Arthur needs me to do this and that,” Merlin replied. 

“Alright.” Gaius watched as Merlin hummed a tune under his breath and disappeared into his room. “Something is definitely going on,” he muttered under his breath.

 

Merlin flopped onto his bed and rolled over on his back, happily remembering his episode with Arthur. It was better than anything he had ever imagined, and it had actually happened. He didn’t have to feel guilty about going behind Gwen’s back thinking about things like that. After a few minutes, Merlin remembered what Arthur said about his dreams at night. 

_I hope I can comfort him somehow,_ Merlin thought worriedly. He imagined Arthur waking up alone in the middle of the night in tears or with a smile on his face that quickly faded to sadness. Or, even worse, dreaming about that horrible day that will never be forgotten. Merlin chose to shake these thoughts away and return to happier thoughts. If he was upset, how was he supposed to comfort Arthur?

As the afternoon faded into evening, Merlin left his room to get dinner for Arthur. He brought it to the king’s chambers, where Arthur sat at his desk, looking over papers. 

“Studying hard?” Merlin asked as he entered. Arthur looked up at him and made a face before looking back down. Merlin set the food on the table and walked over to the desk. He saw masses of papers and seals scattered across the different documents. “So studying very hard.”

“Morgana is encroaching on other territories as well. Camelot is receiving a lot of requests for help against her.”

Merlin frowned. Morgana was becoming bolder by the day. What was she planning?

“Are you going to respond to any of them?”

“I am sending out replies that we will help in any way we can, but cautioning that she might attack here at any time as well, so our resources are low.” 

Merlin nodded, always impressed at Arthur’s way of handling things. He was always so eager to help others, but still had the sense to protect his kingdom as well. 

“Well, I want to help in any way I can,” Merlin responded. He went behind Arthur and dropped his hands onto Arthur’s shoulders, massaging them lightly. Arthur started to protest but Merlin stopped him. “Just relax. You can still write, but at least your shoulder’s won’t seize.”

Arthur stayed silent but did allow himself to relax. He briefly closed his eyes and felt the tension oozing out of his muscles. He didn’t realize how tense he really was until Merlin started working through the kinks. 

“You have to eat something Arthur,” Merlin said after a couple minutes. He had completely forgotten about why he came in the first place. 

“Yes, food. Right.” Arthur felt his stomach growling at him. He gently eased out of Merlin’s grip and walked over to the table. “You didn’t bring any for you.”

“Well I usually eat with Gaius later…” Merlin trailed off. 

“Here, have some of mine,” Arthur said. He gestured to the chair next to him and pushed his plate in between the two as Merlin sat down. They picked at the food in silence for a few minutes, chewing slowly. Merlin wondered what was going through Arthur’s mind. “You don’t normally get to eat like this do you?” Arthur said quietly.

“Well, I mean Gaius isn’t the best cook but we make do,” Merlin responded. 

“I mean the meat and the fruit. Servants don’t have access to the best pieces of food.” 

“What are you getting at?”

“I just think it’s unfair,” Arthur said, looking Merlin in the eyes.

“Unfair for all servants or just for me?” Merlin replied curiously. Arthur had never cared about what his servants ate before. 

Arthur didn’t reply for a minute. He chewed on a piece of chicken before meeting his servant’s eyes again. “Just for you.”

“I don’t mind. It’s not like I have anything to compare my food to.”

“I guess I just take all these things for granted. Things that you would never hope to achieve, I get handed to me everyday.”

Merlin wondered what brought this bout of humility upon Arthur. He usually liked to rub it in Merlin’s face that he was just a servant. Was it because he was developing feelings for him?

“Don’t worry about it Arthur, really. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”

“You are truly remarkable Merlin,” Arthur responded. Merlin simply smiled and took another piece of meat, just to be polite. After Arthur finished he returned to his documents and Merlin stayed at the table. He watched Arthur silently as Arthur wrote response after response, placing the king’s seal on each scroll when he finished. The candles on the table grew lower every minute until they were nothing but waxy stubs barely casting a shadow. 

“I think you should prepare for bed Arthur,” Merlin said as soon as the room became too dark to write by. 

“Yes, I suppose,” Arthur said, putting his quill down. He stood up and crossed over to the bed, pulling his shirt over his head in the process. He also kicked his boots off and pushed them to the foot of the bed. Merlin stood up as well and removed his outer layer. He laid it on the back of a chair and started untying his scarf, which he laid over his coat. He also pulled his boots off and put them next to Arthur’s. When he was done, he saw Arthur was already in bed, on his side, leaving Gwen’s old side empty. Merlin hesitated. He usually slept with his shirt on, but it felt weird this time. Mentally shaking himself out of it, he pulled the sheets back and slid under them. He laid on his side, facing Arthur.

“Remember, wake me up for any reason. Whatever you need, that’s what I’m here for,” Merlin said. Arthur nodded and smiled.

“Thank you Merlin. Really, this will be a great help.”

Merlin nodded and slid a little closer to Arthur. He motioned for Arthur to turn around. As the king did, Merlin slid his right arm under Arthur’s shoulder and looped his left arm across Arthur’s chest, pulling him close. He heard Arthur sigh and relax into his arms. Merlin smiled and planted a soft kiss at the base of Arthur’s neck. 

“Goodnight,” he whispered.

“Goodnight,” Arthur responded.

*

Arthur awoke suddenly, sweating and panting hard. The movement caused him to disentangle from Merlin, rousing the servant as well.

“What happened?” Merlin asked sleepily. 

“I was dreaming about her again,” Arthur replied with a frown. Why was this dream different than the others? Gwen had almost been trying to tell him something…

“What did you see?” Merlin asked, becoming more awake by the second.

“We were out on a picnic,” Arthur started. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the traces of the dream still remaining. “It was sunny and we were in a large field. Then the sky turned dark and roiled with thunder and lightening. I turned to Gwen so we could leave and she wasn’t there. She had turned into a raven. The raven was sitting there, squawking at me. Then it flew off into the storm, leaving me alone.”

Merlin thought about this for a minute. “That could mean a lot of things. I’ll make sure to ask Gaius in the morning. Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine,” Arthur said, wiping away a tear that stole its way down his cheek. 

“Go back to bed then,” Merlin urged gently, pulling Arthur back onto the pillows. 

Arthur silently complied, laying back against Merlin obediently. He didn’t fall right back asleep, however. He lay awake pondering the meaning of the dream. Why was Gwen a raven? Was trouble looming overhead that he just couldn’t see? He could almost hear the caw of the raven in his head, repeating over and over. Arthur pressed himself into Merlin further, finding comfort in his embrace. _I’m glad I asked him to stay_ Arthur thought to himself. It was already soothing his frayed nerves, and within the next couple minutes the caw of the raven disappeared from his mind.

*

The next morning, Arthur awoke to the sunlight streaming through the breaks in the curtain. Merlin was still asleep next to him. Arthur wondered how Merlin ever got anywhere on time. _He sleeps like a damn log_ Arthur thought. He wrestled himself out of Merlin’s grip and walked over to his desk. All of the replies had been written and sealed. All he needed was to send knights out to deliver the messages. He was starting to gather the scrolls together when there was a knock on the door. Arthur’s eyes flew to Merlin still in his bed, sleeping, and to the door that was slowly opening. He bolted across the room and flung the covers over Merlin’s head, hoping the lumpy form wouldn’t cause suspicion. The door opened just as the sheet settled and Gaius walked in. Arthur let out the breath he had been holding in and smiled.

“What can I do for you Gaius?”

“I’ve been looking for Merlin. He hasn’t returned and I’m worried that something might have happened to him.”

Arthur took a second to debate whether to tell Gaius what was going on or not. In the end, he decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea and would have to lie. He hated lying, especially to Gaius.

“I haven’t seen him…maybe he spent the night in the tavern?” 

“He said he was doing things for you,” Gaius said, raising his eyebrow. 

“Yes, well, he finished those a couple hours ago I hope. I haven’t seen him since,” Arthur said just as Merlin started to stir under the sheets. “Why don’t you try looking around the castle again? I’m sure he’ll show up soon.”

“I will sire,” Gaius said slowly. He glanced at Arthur and then to the bed, then back to Arthur. He turned around and left, shaking his head.

“Oh he definitely knows,” Arthur groaned, sitting on the bed. Merlin shoved the covers off of himself and looked at Arthur curiously. 

“Gaius?” 

“He’s looking for you,” Arthur replied. 

“Guess it’s time to go then,” Merlin said. He slid out of the bed and walked over to his clothes, putting them on again. He slid into his boots quickly and offered Arthur a smile before leaving the room. Arthur stayed on the bed and put his head in his hands. Gaius definitely knew at least something was under those sheets.

There was a knock on the door and Percival poked his head in. “Sire?”

“Yes, Percival,” Arthur said, raising his head. Percival stared at him for a moment before coming into the room completely. 

“Sire, Morgana has been spotted.”

Arthur rose immediately and crossed the room to Percival. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, she has been patrolling the northern border. With her stands about a thousand men. Her attack could be any day now.”

“Let’s go to the conference room immediately. Round up the other knights.” Arthur started for the door immediately. 

“Sire,” Percival said. 

“What?”

“I think you should…put on a shirt.”

Arthur looked down and realized he was still shirtless and barefoot. “Right.” He walked back to his wardrobe and put on a red tunic. He grabbed a belt and pulled his boots on before starting to walk out again. “Follow me.”

Percival smiled but followed Arthur silently. 

*

Arthur stood in front of the entire counsel after having a private meeting with his knights. He was dressed in his royal garb now; he had to track Merlin down in order to be ready. It seemed Gaius and Merlin might have had a bit of an argument by how hard it was to find him.

“I have news,” Arthur said, his voice carrying across the room. “Morgana has started her attack on Camelot. This morning she was spotted at our northern border and is advancing by the hour. She will make it to our walls by tomorrow night, the earliest.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, most of them in fear. Everyone in Camelot knew of the power Morgana held. Merlin glanced at the crowd from where he was standing in the back. These people did not deserve so much strife. 

“We are beginning our preparations immediately. There are also preparations to make the castle hospitable for refugees. We will not leave any citizen behind. Thank you.” Arthur finished talking and nodded his head. Everyone filed out of the room except for Merlin, leaving him and Arthur alone again. 

“Any preparations I can help with?” Merlin asked, walking over to the king. Arthur had taken a seat on his throne and was massaging his temples lightly. 

“You could prepare my armor for battle, maybe some of the weapons too. The blacksmiths are going to be going crazy all day and night.” Arthur looked up at Merlin and sighed. “Please? If it’s too much, get someone to help you.”

Merlin was thrown off by the word ‘please’. He didn’t think it even existed in Arthur’s vocabulary. He stared blankly at Arthur for a couple minutes before responding, “Yeah, definitely. I’ll see you later?” 

“Definitely,” Arthur replied with a hint of a smile. Merlin returned the gesture and left the room, headed for Arthur’s chambers. He spent the rest of the afternoon tweaking and fixing Arthur’s armor until it was pristine. When he was finished he took a trip to the armory and made sure that Excalibur was in perfect condition. Then he started honing and sharpening weapons for the knights to use. He knew that no mortal blade could slay Morgana, but the knights needed at least a fighting chance. 

After a lot of muscle work, Merlin had managed to fix at least twenty weapons the knights could use. He wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed. His muscles ached and he wasn’t sure if Arthur wanted him to stay that night. He definitely didn’t want to go back to Gaius’s room. Merlin had returned after spending the night with Arthur to a barrage of questions from Gaius. Eventually, Gaius had figured out what was going on and scolded Merlin on it. Merlin had defended his and Arthur’s relationship vehemently and then stormed out of the room.

Merlin shook his head and sighed aloud. He would go back to Arthur’s chambers and see what he could do. 

*

Arthur was at his desk when Merlin entered.

“Ah Merlin,” Arthur said as Merlin approached. “You were gone all afternoon.”

“I fixed as many weapons as I could and your armor is ready for battle,” Merlin said tiredly. He stood in front of the desk and let his shoulders droop. Arthur frowned slightly.

“Thank you. Are you okay?”

“Just tired. I’ll be fine in the morning,” Merlin replied. He plastered a smile on his face that he wished he felt. 

“Well I’m going to be up pretty late preparing and all,” Arthur said. He gestured to his desk with the mess of papers on it. 

“Is it okay if I stay here tonight?” Merlin asked. 

“Why? Did something happen?” Arthur asked curiously. 

“Gaius…kind of knows about us,” Merlin admitted. Arthur stared at him for a couple seconds. He was dreading that would happen. 

“What…are we anyway?” Arthur asked after a minute.

“Well, I don’t really know,” Merlin said. “We don’t really need to figure that out now.”

“That’s true,” Arthur agreed. “Well to answer your question, yes you can stay here.”

“Thanks.” Merlin crossed over to the bed and flopped down on his stomach. He gazed at Arthur through half closed eyes. “Wake me up when you’re done.”

“Sure thing,” Arthur replied. He watched Merlin’s eyes close and smiled to himself. _He looks so peaceful now. I hope it lasts, these next few days are going to be tough._  
Arthur’s mind wandered to how the battle was going to go. He hoped that he wouldn’t lose too many men but that hope was definitely not going to happen. All he could hope for was that they finally beat Morgana once and for all and not lose too many knights in the process.

Before long the candle on the table burned low into its holder, emitting no more light for Arthur to work by. He sighed and stretched before standing up and walking over to the bed. He shook Merlin gently before taking off his servant’s shoes. Merlin groaned and opened one eye.  
“Finished?”

“Yeah,” Arthur replied, sitting next to him. 

Merlin smiled and closed his eyes again. “Good.”

“Let’s get you to bed sleepy head,” Arthur grinned, ruffling Merlin’s hair. He took off his shirt and boots before shrugging Merlin’s coat off of him as well. He laid next to Merlin and pulled him close. 

_This will be the last peaceful night for a while_ Arthur thought before closing his eyes.


	6. The twist in the battle

Arthur awoke to the sound of pounding on the door. Merlin was still encased in his arms, starting to stir as well. Arthur started to panic for a minute. What if someone found Merlin in his bed besides Gaius? 

“Please be quiet,” Arthur whispered in Merlin’s ear and threw the sheet over him. “Come in.”

The king watched Leon and Percival enter the room quickly. They stopped at the bed and bowed slightly.

“Sire, Morgana’s army is approaching the northern border quicker than anticipated. They will reach the wall in a matter of hours. We need to meet her before she begins her siege,” Leon said. 

Arthur glanced outside. It was still dark, meaning dawn was still hours away. “Alright. Prepare the men. I will march with you in about half an hour.”

“Sire,” Percival and Leon saluted and left the room. 

Merlin removed the sheet from over his head and stared at Arthur. “Already?”

“Yes. She is knocking on our doorstep,” Arthur sighed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slid off the bed. “Let’s get ready.”

Merlin nodded silently and got out of bed as well. He put his boots and coat on before retrieving the king’s armor and chain mail. Arthur pulled on his red tunic and waited for Merlin to put his chain mail on. Once that was secure, Merlin started strapping his armor into place. 

“I’m coming with you,” Merlin said quietly.

“You should stay here with Gaius,” Arthur replied.

Merlin finished the last strap and looked into Arthur’s eyes. “I’m coming with you and the knights. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Alright,” Arthur said. He offered Merlin a slight smile and placed his hand on his servant’s shoulder. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Merlin affirmed. They left the room together, heading to meet the rest of the knight’s. 

*

 

Merlin stood off to the side as Arthur formed ranks with the knights. Percival was leading the main company with Arthur and Mordred. Leon and Gwaine were taking command of a smaller force that would attack from the east. Arthur stood at the head of all of the knights, giving a speech.

“Morgana is not an unknown enemy. She has ravaged our lands for the last time. Here is where we make our stand. Camelot will not fall as long as we defend its honor. Morgana has terrorized our people for the last time. For the love of Camelot!” Arthur raised his sword and the knights took up the cry. Arthur moved to the head of his line with Percival and Mordred and Merlin followed. The company started marching toward the north entrance while Gwaine and Leon took theirs to the east.

“Nervous?” Merlin whispered to Arthur. 

“Not at all,” Arthur replied. 

They reached the base of the wall in a matter of minutes. Lookouts posted at the top of the wall were waving a lit torch in their direction. 

“She’s here,” Mordred said. 

“Archers, get on top of that wall. I want advancing intruders taken down immediately. Don’t let them get close to the wall.”

“Yes sire,” some knights replied. Merlin watched them climb the steps nervously. He had always hated battle and tried to stay out of it. But when Arthur’s life was in danger, he made sure he was there no matter what. 

“Percival, you and Mordred lead some men to hold the gate. If it is breached, I want to know immediately.”

“Yes sire,” Percival said. He and Mordred took a small band of men to the gate, watching the impending army stoically. 

Merlin made sure to stay close to Arthur.

“Don’t go doing anything stupid,” Merlin said quietly. 

“I will do whatever necessary to save my people,” Arthur replied. 

“The attack is starting!” Mordred yelled from the gate. 

“Stay here if you wish,” Arthur said to Merlin.

“Not in your dreams,” Merlin replied. The two men made their way to the front of the gate and Merlin watched Arthur’s eyes narrow. 

“She’s stupidly bold,” Arthur said. Merlin glanced out the gate and saw Morgana standing at the top of a hill, behind her troops. The sky was just starting to lighten to her right, silhouetting only half her face. Merlin could see that she was smiling. It was extremely creepy.

Then, without warning, the battle picked up. Morgana’s soldiers pressed against the gate, straining the iron and pushing the knights backwards slightly. The archers were dutifully taking out enemies but were quickly running out of arrows. Suddenly, the archers were all picked up and thrown off the walkway of the wall. Merlin watched in horror as the knights crunched to the ground, unmoving. 

“Morgana!” Arthur yelled angrily. 

Merlin saw Morgana lower her hands and start advancing through the army. “Watch out Arthur,” Merlin warned. 

“We can’t hold the gate much longer,” Percival grunted. The gate was bowing inward dangerously. 

“Just hold it as long as you can,” Arthur replied. He drew his sword and advanced forward, so he was in front of the group. He helped push against the rush temporarily before realizing the gate was lost. “Retreat,” he ordered the knights. The knights obeyed, leaving the gate and backing up about ten paces. Morgana’s army surged forward and broke the gate off its hinges. 

Arthur nodded to Percival, who nodded in return. “Follow me!” Percival shouted. He raised his sword and ran into the imposing crowd. The rest of the knights followed and the clash of steel filled the air. Arthur turned around and took one last look at Merlin. He smiled and raised his sword as well. Then, without another word, he turned and ran into the crowd himself.

Merlin held his breath as Arthur sliced through the enemies in front of him. It was crucial to watch in case he needed to use his magic quickly. _Arthur is an amazing warrior. He should be fine,_ Merlin told himself. Just in case, he drew along the outskirts of the battle, keeping his eyes on Arthur the whole time. It seemed Arthur was making a beeline through the enemies straight towards Morgana, who was still advancing through the crowd. _He can’t be…_

Arthur wove his way through the crowd, slicing down opponents left and right. His target was Morgana. She was nearing towards him by the minute. He ducked underneath a leaping soldier and slashed through another. He could see Morgana as clear as day, but it helped that the sky was lightening by the minute. The fact that she had magic didn’t change anything for him. He was a better swordsman than her and hopefully that would win out. 

“Hello Arthur,” Morgana called out as she got closer. Arthur grimaced but didn’t respond. “How are you? Missing your queen?”

“You are going to pay for what you did!” Arthur yelled, his emotions betraying him. 

Morgana laughed, tilting her head back to the sky. She looked back at Arthur, smirking. “Show me.”

Arthur broke into a run with his sword poised to kill. The moment he got within a couple feet of Morgana he was lifted off his feet. He crashed to the ground, hard. Groaning, he staggered back to his feet. “Fight me without your magic.”

“Why? Magic is what I am. There is no hope for you against me.”

Merlin watched the scene from afar, nervous. Arthur stood no chance against Morgana, especially with her magic power. He would have to step in soon, but how could he do it without revealing himself to Arthur? 

“Say goodbye, Arthur!” Morgana cried. She raised her arms to the sky and started chanting. Arthur watched warily, trying to prepare for what was about to happen. The sky swirled with clouds and darkened, making it look like the middle of the night again. Morgana clapped her hands together and the clouds funneled together and flew towards Arthur. 

“NO!” Merlin shouted. He sprinted over to Arthur and threw himself in between the king and the magical clouds. The clouds hit him square in the chest and he fell to the ground, limp. 

“Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed. Forgetting Morgana temporarily, he knelt down and rolled Merlin onto his back. The servant winced and stared at Arthur in pain. “Stay with me.”

“I’m sorry,” Merlin responded. 

“For what?” 

Merlin didn’t respond but started to stand up slowly. “Leave Arthur alone, Morgana.”

“How touching,” Morgana replied. “Why?”

“Because I am who you’ve been looking for,” Merlin responded. He tried to glance back at Arthur but found it too painful to turn around.

“Could it be?” Morgana gasped. She eyed Merlin in a completely new light. “Could you be…Emrys?”

“Yes,” Merlin replied. “I am Emrys. That’s what the druids call me.”

“Oh this is too good to be true!” Morgana squealed. A wide smile broke out onto her face and she started walking toward Merlin. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”

“Take me, leave Arthur,” Merlin pleaded. “Please. Do whatever you want with me, but let Arthur be.”

“I’ll consider it,” Morgana replied. 

“No!” Merlin heard Arthur shout behind him. “I don’t care who this Emrys is, but Merlin belongs here in Camelot! Don’t take your hatred for me out on him!”

“It’s okay Arthur,” Merlin replied. He managed to turn around slightly so he could see his king. Arthur looked shocked and helpless. _I have to spare his life no matter what_ Merlin thought heavily. _No matter what._

“Ready?” Merlin heard Morgana’s voice in his ear. Her hand tightened on his arm and he felt an immobilizing pain spread from her grip throughout his entire body. He tried to scream but it was caught in his throat, unable to be released. He collapsed into his captor’s arms, unable to move. Morgana dragged him away from the battlefield and threw him onto her horse.

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted, running after him. 

“Try to thank your servant for sacrificing himself for you,” Morgana replied. “My forces! Retreat!”

Arthur stood and watched as Morgana’s soldiers left Camelot as quickly as they came. He fell to his knees and knelt there, helpless, as Morgana carried away his servant, his best friend, and his only source of happiness. 

*

“Where are you taking me?” Merlin rasped. All he could see was the ground moving under them. Morgana was leading her army away from Camelot, which was what he wanted; and she was leaving Arthur alone, which was more than he could have hoped for. 

“You don’t need to know,” Morgana responded. He felt her pat him on the back, which infuriated him. Whatever spell she had pumped into his body was still keeping him immobilized. He tried tilting his head but found it was no use. All he could tell was that they were still on grassy ground. He also heard the pounding of hooves from Morgana’s army. His mind wandered to Arthur for the umpteenth time since they left. What was he doing? How was he doing? Was he going to come look for him? Merlin hoped not. He wanted Arthur to stay safe, even if that meant leaving himself in the hands of Morgana. He forced himself to swallow; the magic was not making it easy for him to do anything. 

“Our destination is just ahead,” Morgana said. Merlin wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, herself, or her troops. 

After a few minutes, Merlin felt the horse slow down. When they came to a stop he felt Morgana slide off and felt strong, large hands on his midsection. He was yanked off the horse and thrown roughly over someone’s shoulder. The man turned and he could see Morgana smiling at him.

“Welcome to your new home,” she said, gesturing behind her. Merlin craned his neck and saw a tall, dark tower looming over them. He had never seen this tower before, which bothered him. He hadn’t been able to track where they were from his position and he was entering an unknown building. A dark thought crossed through the back of his mind: would he ever make it out alive?

*

Arthur sat in his chambers, completely distraught. He wouldn’t accept that Merlin was gone. Morgana had taken Gwen from him and now Merlin. He balled his fingers into fists, watching his knuckles turn white. Morgana would pay for this. She had to.

A knock on the door took him out of his depressing thoughts. Gaius stood at the door, looking solemn. “You wanted to see me sire?”

“Yes,” Arthur replied, standing up and walking over to Gaius. “I’m sure you heard what happened.”

“Yes, I am deeply saddened to hear it,” Gaius said. 

“Merlin…said something to Morgana that changed the course of the battle,” Arthur said slowly. “I don’t know what it means.”

“What did he say?”

“He said ‘I’m the one you’ve been looking for. I’m Emrys’,” Arthur said, watching for Gaius’s reaction. Gaius raised his eyebrow but said nothing right away. “Who is Emrys?”

“Emrys…is a very important person to Camelot,” Gaius said carefully. “He was born to protect you, Arthur.”

“Is that why Morgana wants Merlin? So he can’t protect me anymore?”

“In part, yes,” Gaius replied. 

“What’s the other part?” Arthur looked Gaius in the eyes and searched with his own, almost pleading. “Tell me.”

“That is something that only Merlin can tell you,” Gaius said, meeting the king’s gaze. “I cannot disclose that information.”

“But you know. He’s been keeping something from me,” Arthur said with a sigh. “What is he keeping from me?”

“What do you plan to do sire?” Gaius asked curiously.

“I’ve sent Leon out to shadow Morgana’s army,” Arthur replied. “Once we know where she is and has taken Merlin, we will go and get him back.”

“Sire, if I may, is that course of action completely wise? Morgana is still very powerful and we haven’t been able to touch her.”

“Yes, this must happen,” Arthur said. His eyes flashed for a moment before he took a breath to calm himself. “I owe Merlin that. He doesn’t deserve this. He was only protecting me.”

“Sire, your feelings for Merlin-”

“They have nothing to do with this!” Arthur practically shouted. “I won’t leave one of my men behind,” he said quieter. 

Gaius didn’t reply but nodded lightly. He bowed slightly and left the room, leaving Arthur alone again. He paced for the next couple of minutes, fuming silently. _Gaius had no right to question my actions Arthur thought. My feelings for Merlin are not fueling my actions. I would do the same for any of my knights. But Merlin isn’t a knight…_

Another knock on the door stopped Arthur once again. “Enter,” he said.

“Sire, Leon has been spotted at the gates,” Mordred said, poking his head in. 

“Let’s go,” Arthur said, walking over to Mordred immediately. They walked to the conference room together.

“I’m sorry about Merlin,” Mordred said quietly.

“We’ll get him back and make Morgana pay,” Arthur replied. 

“Right, sire.”

By the time the council had settled in the conference room, Leon was just walking in. 

“What news?” Arthur asked anxiously.

“Sire, Morgana and her troops have traveled far north to a tower I do not know of.”

“Point to it on the map,” Arthur said, unraveling a map of the area.

“Here,” Leon said, pointing to a darkened part of the map, north of Camelot.

“We haven’t been to that area in a long time,” Arthur said. “She is smart to take advantage of it.”

“I saw Merlin,” Leon said quietly. “He is still alive.”

“That is good news,” Arthur said, trying to hide his emotions. “Let’s ready the horses immediately. Those of you who are accompanying me know who you are.”

Everyone disbanded and went their separate ways. Arthur returned to his chambers to ready himself in his battle armor. He had never had to do this without Merlin before. He had gotten his chain mail on and was struggling with his armor when Gwaine poked his head in. 

“Need help?” Gwaine asked, coming in uninvited. Arthur nodded wordlessly and Gwaine started helping Arthur strap in. “We are going to get him back.”

“Thank you,” Arthur replied. “I know we will.”

“Merlin means too much to all of us to let Morgana take him from us.” Gwaine tightened the last strap and kept his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “I mean it. We won’t let her do this.”

“It really means a lot,” Arthur replied. “Let’s go get Merlin back.”

Within the hour Arthur and the band of knights that volunteered to go were ready to depart. Arthur had shouldered responsibility temporarily to Gaius in case they were delayed in returning. All of his trusted knights were coming with him so Gaius was the only remaining option. 

“Let’s ride!” Arthur called and pushed his heels into his horse’s side. The group took off, set on ambushing Morgana and retrieving Merlin as fast as possible.

*

Merlin awoke to a tingling feeling in his fingers. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was upright with his feet brushing the stone floor. Leaning back, he could see his wrists were tied with rope and pulled tightly above his head. It was attached to a pulley of some sort, allowing his captors to tighten and loosen it as they pleased. He tried using magic to free himself but found his body unresponsive. _She must have blocked my magic somehow_ Merlin thought. He rubbed his wrists together in an attempt to loosen the ropes but that was of no use either. 

The door opened and Morgana entered. Merlin glared at her as she walked up to him and placed her fingers under his chin. “How is the almighty Emrys doing?” 

“Fine,” Merlin replied defiantly. “What do you want?”

“I was wondering if we could play a little game,” Morgana replied. She took her fingers out from underneath Merlin’s chin and her eyes glinted. “Let’s see how Emrys fares against a high priestess.”

“You are suppressing my magic,” Merlin said. “How can I fight against you?”

“You’ll find a way I’m sure,” Morgana replied. “If you want to have anything to eat tonight.”

“Fine, have it your way,” Merlin sighed. He tried concentrating on building the magic inside him but found it increasingly difficult. The suppression was almost smothering. He felt like he had no magical powers at all and he didn’t like that feeling. 

Morgana’s smile widened and she nodded to a man behind her. He moved out of Merlin’s line of vision and he felt the rope holding him up loosen slightly. His wrists were still tightly bound together but his arms could now bend and move around more freely. Merlin flexed them experimentally, getting the blood flowing again. 

“Hit me with your best shot,” Morgana said, the smile vanishing quickly. She stood there, waiting for Merlin to attack. 

He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to draw on some latent power dwelling inside him. He felt it stirring and reached for it eagerly, hoping it was enough for something. Merlin stretched his hands out as far as they would go in front of him, expelling the magic out with as much force as he could muster. He opened his eyes to see Morgana’s smile back again. She had been pushed back a couple feet, but not much. 

“Very nice,” she said. “Now my turn.”

Merlin screamed as Morgana sent a forceful push in his direction that threw him back across the room. The rope’s slack went taut as it reached its limit, forcing him to jerk forward again. His arm muscles screamed and ached from the sudden motion but Merlin couldn’t do anything to stop it. He took deep breaths, trying to overcome the pain. 

“You’re a monster,” he spat out. 

“You have caused me nothing but pain and grief for the past ten years. Who’s the monster?” Morgana snapped. She raised her hand, palm up and fingers spread, slowly. Merlin raised with it, the invisible force gripping his around his neck. He coughed and gasped for air as Morgana tightened her grip. Just as he started seeing spots and felt his consciousness slipping away, Morgana released her grip. Merlin collapsed to the ground hard with his arms still raised above his head. 

“Just kill me,” Merlin gasped. 

“No, that would be too easy,” Morgana replied. “You have to experience all the pain I’ve suffered because of you. Then, after you can’t stand it anymore and beg me to kill you, I will. Then I’ll go back for your precious Arthur.”

“That…wasn’t…the deal,” Merlin said in between breaths.

“Well, I lied,” Morgana responded. Merlin raised his head long enough to glare at Morgana for a couple long seconds before dropping his head again in exhaustion. “Since you made such a weak effort against me, it will reflect in your food supply. Make sure to practice, because I will be back again to test you.”

Morgana motioned to her companion and he threw a quarter piece of stale bread at Merlin’s feet. The two of them left together silently, leaving Merlin in the room alone. 

“Arthur…” Merlin whispered, letting a tear fall down his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

*

Arthur and the knights were just cleaning up camp when dawn broke. Merlin had been kidnapped for an entire day. Arthur packed his horse’s bags slowly, imagining Merlin doing this for him; laughing and cracking jokes to lighten the mood. He missed his servant so much. It was hard to picture what Morgana was doing to him, especially how she reacted when Merlin told her he was Emrys. 

“Ready sire?” Leon asked. 

“Yes, let’s go. How much farther?”

“About half a days ride left,” Leon responded. “Not far.”

Arthur nodded and mounted his horse. The rest of the knights followed suit and they started galloping across a field, getting closer to their destination. 

_Please be alright, please be alright…_ Arthur repeated to himself over and over. It became his mantra for the next couple hours, keeping him sane. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Merlin died because of him. He couldn’t lose someone else close to him, he just couldn’t.

“There, sire,” Leon said, pointing ahead. Arthur squinted and could just make out a dark mass on the horizon.  
“Very good, let’s get there as quickly as possible. Then we need to stop on the outskirts and make a plan of attack.”   
“Yes sire,” the knights chorused.   
I’m coming Merlin Arthur thought fiercely. 

*

Merlin was dozing when Morgana returned. He jerked awake and forgot where he was for a minute. Once he spotted Morgana his eyes narrowed and he turned his head away. 

“Don’t be like that Emrys,” Morgana said mockingly. “We were friends once.”

“Once. And my name is Merlin,” he responded angrily. 

“You should be joining us, _Merlin,_ ” Morgana sneered. “All we want is for magic users to live free from the persecution of the Pendragon’s.”

“Arthur is a good king,” Merlin said with as much force as he could manage. “Magic will be free to practice through the realm in good time.”

“I don’t see that happening anytime soon,” Morgana replied. “Arthur continues to persecute my people. Our people. I can’t stand for that.”

“Arthur is a better ruler than you will ever be,” Merlin responded.

“Why do you stand with him?” Morgana hissed. “He kills your people but you stand by him, why?”

“Because he is the only king fit to rule Camelot into the best era it will ever have,” Merlin said in a low voice.

Morgana frowned and backed away from Merlin, turning around. After a minute she turned back, her face completely composed. “Are you ready to resume our game?”

“If you insist,” Merlin replied.

“What have you got?”

Merlin sighed and tried to clear his mind. He thought he had pinpointed the type of suppression Morgana was using and was practicing on whittling its power down. Before he had dozed off he was manipulating a hole in the magical web Morgana had woven around him. He kept his eyes open and placed his restrained hands in front of him again. He funneled all the power he could muster through the small hole he had discovered and pushed it out of him forcefully. Morgana let out a yelp of surprise as she was pushed all the way against the wall. Merlin allowed himself a small smirk. He was still more powerful than her. His smirk disappeared as Morgana recovered quickly and propelled herself forward until she was on top of Merlin. The rope strained against the additional weight until it was given more slack. Morgana pinned Merlin’s legs together between her own and held her hand against his throat. Merlin tried to breathe shallowly and struggled to remain focused. 

“I have had enough of you,” Morgana hissed angrily. “My shield was impenetrable.” 

“Apparently not,” Merlin choked. 

“It would be a shame if you couldn’t speak anymore, would it? Or breathe.” Morgana whispered. She increased the pressure on Merlin’s throat and crushed his windpipe, cutting the air off to his lungs. Her eyes flashed golden and tightened with anger. He tried gasping for air but there was no way to get it to his chest. His lungs burned and his throat was throbbing painfully. Soon black spots appeared in the corner of his vision and he felt his mind slipping away. It looked like he was viewing Morgana from the wrong end of a tunnel. All of the sounds entering his ears echoed and bounced around his brain. Finally, after silently begging for a couple of painful seconds, Merlin lost consciousness. 

Morgana released the pressure from Merlin’s throat, allowing him to breathe again. She stood up slowly and left him splayed on the ground, still bound. “That will teach you to mess with a high priestess,” she murmured, leaving the room quickly. 

*

Arthur and the rest of the knights were hidden under a cluster of trees, planning their attack. They had scouted the area slowly and found the outside was guarded by only a handful of soldiers. Arthur estimated that the majority of the army was either inside the fortress or roaming the lands terrorizing people. 

“Our main objective is to retrieve Merlin. If, by some miracle, we slaughter Morgana’s entire army and Morgana herself, that will be a bonus. Do not engage Morgana directly, she’s too powerful. Merlin will most likely be in a high, isolated room.” 

“Are we going in groups or solo?” Mordred asked. 

“We will go in no more than twos, trying to be as discreet as possible,” Arthur replied. “Gwaine, you’re with me.”

“Yes sire,” Gwaine said with a nod. 

“Mordred, go with Percival. Leon, you can pick a partner.” 

With the plan set, the knights slowly crept up to the fortress. Arthur nodded to Gwaine, who snuck up behind a guard and snapped his neck. The rest of the knight’s followed suit, securing the perimeter. Arthur and Gwaine slipped into the tower first. 

Arthur proceeded first, sweeping the narrow hallway with his eyes. Seeing nothing, he motioned Gwaine forward and they advanced slowly. A guard popped out and Arthur stabbed him quickly, simply reacting. 

“Let me go first,” Gwaine whispered, nudging his way past Arthur. Arthur let him, even though he was using all his restraint not to go running looking for Merlin. They headed down the hallway and listened at the first doorway. Hearing nothing, Gwaine pushed the door open slightly and looked in. Seeing nothing, he turned back to Arthur and shrugged. The next door Gwaine opened held a handful of saxons lounging around a table. They jumped up when Arthur and Gwaine entered, starting to shout. Gwaine rushed the nearest one and cut off his cry with a sword to the stomach. Arthur rounded the table and half-twirled to evade an oncoming sword. He sliced another soldiers chest and brought his sword’s hilt down on another’s head. Turning, he saw Gwaine finishing off the last one. 

“Piece of cake,” Gwaine said with a smile.

Arthur simply nodded and they left the room. They continued down the hallway, listening more intently this time. After a couple minutes, they finally came to a staircase. They ascended the staircase slowly, watching for movement from the other direction. After they reached the top, they found another narrow hallway. There were less doors to check this time, making it much easier. Gwaine listened at each door and they pushed them open methodically, making sure they were empty. 

“Why haven’t we come across anyone else?” Gwaine mouthed curiously. Arthur shrugged, not believing their luck either. There was only one more door to try.

 _Please be there Merlin,_ Arthur thought desperately. Gwaine listened at the door and heard nothing, giving yet another shrug. Arthur motioned for him to push the door open and the knight did slowly, seeing nothing and first and opening it wider. He stepped into the room and saw Merlin lying on the floor, unconscious.

“Sire,” he hissed, motioning him in quickly. 

Arthur entered the room slowly but quickly ran to Merlin’s side as soon as he spotted him. “No…no…” Arthur moaned, lifting Merlin’s head gently. He put his head to Merlin’s chest and felt his servant’s faint heartbeat. “He’s still alive,” he breathed happily. 

Gwaine slashed through the rope restraints with his sword quickly. Arthur gave Merlin a once over and noticed the bruising around his neck. He felt rage build up inside him once again, cursing Morgana. _Revenge will have to wait_ he thought, calming his anger. He lifted Merlin gently, one hand under his legs and the other under his armpits. 

“Sire!” Gwaine shouted. Arthur turned around to tell him to shush but had to duck a fist coming right at his face. It was hard holding Merlin and he almost dropped his servant. He whirled around and found he was staring at a shirtless man over six and a half feet tall. 

“Holy hell,” he gasped, backing up quickly. Where did Gwaine go? Suddenly, the behemoth let out a roar as Gwaine appeared near his neck, wrapping his arms around the thick muscle. The man tried to throw Gwaine off his back unsuccessfully. Arthur knelt down and reluctantly placed Merlin on the stone again. He stood up and drew his sword in one fluid motion. The man saw him coming and yelled again, ignoring Gwaine trying to strangle him and preparing for Arthur’s onslaught. “This is for Merlin!” Arthur yelled. He lashed out with his sword and the behemoth raised his arms to block the blow; the sword cut skin and he roared in pain. 

“Stupid sonofabitch,” Gwaine grunted. He increased his hold, making the man turn his attention back to the troublesome knight. 

“Die already,” Arthur said angrily. He pulled his sword back and stuck his sword into the man’s belly. As he drew the sword back out the man collapsed on the ground with a loud thud. Gwaine rolled off of him and dusted himself off. 

“Eventful rescue this is,” he commented.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Arthur replied. He picked up Merlin once again and they headed out of the room and back toward the staircase. 

“Cover me,” he said to Gwaine who nodded immediately. They heard a commotion coming from down the stairs. 

“The other knights must have found some saxons,” Arthur said. He wished they could have slipped in and out undetected, but fate had other plans. He and Gwaine raced down the stairs as fast as they could, joining in the commotion right away. Morgana’s soldiers had noticed the intrusion and were fiercely battling the knights. 

“Get Merlin out of here sire,” Gwaine said, raising his sword. Arthur nodded and headed for the door. 

“Sound the retreat once I’m clear, alright?” he asked. Gwaine nodded and then leaped into the fray. Arthur hurried down the corridor, making sure not to confront anyone directly. All the knights who saw him knocked soldiers out of the way, leaving Arthur clear to exit the tower. Once he was clear of the tower he ran Merlin over to the cover of the bushes. He gently laid him down over his horse and traced his servant’s cheek with his finger slowly. “I’m coming back, alright Merlin?”

Arthur stood up quickly and ran back to the tower. He had to make sure all of his men made it out safe. When he approached he heard Gwaine’s retreat order and sighed with relief. He wouldn’t have to go back in after all. He returned to his horse and started securing Merlin for the journey. 

“Sire! The knights are in full retreat!” Percival called as the knights came pouring out of the tower. 

“Good. Go ahead, we’ll met at our last camp site!” Arthur called, waving the knights ahead. The knights moved quickly, mounting their horses and taking off immediately. He mounted his own but waited until all the knights were clear. He followed them quickly, making sure no one was left behind. 

 

“Is everyone accounted for?” Arthur called ahead of the line. The knights murmured in assent and slowed down. It didn’t seem like Morgana or her soldiers were following them as of yet.

As they continued away from the north, Arthur glanced down at Merlin’s back. His servant was still unconscious and made no signs of awakening yet. He took one hand off the reigns and rubbed Merlin’s back absentmindedly. Had he been too late?

“Sire,” Mordred said. He had slowed down his horse until it was even with Arthur’s. “How is Merlin?”

“Still not responding,” Arthur replied. 

“He will wake, don’t worry.” 

“I know,” Arthur said, forcing a smile. 

“Should we stop? We are nearing the last camp site,” Mordred asked quietly.

“No, I want to get Merlin to Gaius as soon as possible. We’ll stop when the sky starts to darken.”

Mordred nodded and moved ahead in the line. Arthur leaned over to check Merlin’s neck and frowned as the bruising was more prominent than before. Merlin’s entire neck was covered in dark purple and brown splotches. It reminded Arthur of Merlin’s broken ribs and he flinched internally. _Merlin took that fall for me…and now he’s hurt again because of me._

After the day wore on, Arthur decided it was time to stop. His knights seemed tired and the pace had slowed considerably. He slid off his horse and accepted Gwaine’s help in removing Merlin to a softer spot. Arthur made sure Merlin was close to the fire just in case. He nodded his thanks to Gwaine and sat down next to Merlin, refusing to leave until he woke up. 

“It seems that Morgana either doesn’t want to follow us or is lulling us into a false sense of security,” Gwaine commented before he left. 

“Let’s hope it’s the first one,” Arthur responded. 

One of his knights brought him a bowl of soup minutes, maybe hours later, he didn’t know. Merlin remained unconscious but Arthur asked for another bowl for him anyway. Just as he raised the spoon to his lips, he felt a stir next to him. “Merlin?” he exclaimed hopefully. He turned and Merlin’s eyes were fluttering. Arthur leaned close and took Merlin’s face in both of his hands. “Are you with me?”

Merlin’s eyes opened and focused on Arthur. He smiled and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He frowned and put his hand to his throat, wincing as he touched the skin gingerly.  
“Merlin…can you speak?” Arthur asked worriedly. Merlin looked from his throat back to Arthur, shaking his head slowly.


	7. Retribution and secrets

Arthur stifled a gasp. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, or lack thereof. Merlin couldn’t speak and he was sure Morgana was behind it.

“Does it hurt a lot?” Arthur asked quietly. Merlin nodded, wincing. “Can you swallow anything?” Merlin considered the prospect and tried doing it. Arthur winced himself; it looked immensely painful. “We need to get you to Gaius right away,” he said. 

Merlin nodded and laid his head back against the grass. Arthur watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, knowing he must have trouble breathing.

“Here is Merlin’s soup,” Leon said, handing Arthur a bowl.

“Thanks, but it might not be necessary,” Arthur replied. 

“Why not?” Leon asked.

“Merlin’s…well his whole throat is damaged. I don’t know if this will go down or not.”

“Oh,” Leon replied. He glanced at Merlin quickly and sighed. “I’m sick of Morgana’s games.”

“Me too,” Arthur replied. “Me too.”

Leon nodded and left Arthur and Merlin alone. Arthur set the bowl of soup down on the ground and stood up. He gripped under Merlin’s armpits gently and pulled him into a sitting position against a tree. “I’m going to try to give you some soup, okay?”

Merlin nodded, still wincing in pain. Arthur picked up the bowl and dipped the spoon in, only taking up a small amount of broth. He lifted it to Merlin’s lips. Merlin opened his mouth obediently and allowed the spoon to deposit the warm broth into his mouth. He closed his lips and tried to swallow the soup down. Arthur watched intently as Merlin managed to get it down with a large effort. It went this way for a long time. Arthur patiently fed Merlin small amounts of soup and Merlin obediently tried to force it down with minimal pain. 

“We’re going to get you better,” Arthur said, his voice full of emotion. “I won’t let Morgana take this from you.”

Merlin smiled and Arthur could tell his eyes were saying ‘I know you will.’

Arthur returned the smile. “Let’s get you ready to sleep. You’ve had enough soup for tonight.”

He moved Merlin back to a horizontal position and wadded a piece of fabric under his head. He rolled a pack on top of Merlin and kissed the top of his forehead. “Sleep well.”

Merlin closed his eyes with a ghost of a smile on his face. Arthur smoothed back his hair lightly, making sure he was breathing okay. He didn’t know how long he sat there watching him, but he felt he needed to be protective somehow. 

The fire slowly died down to embers and Arthur found he couldn’t trace the outlines of Merlin’s face any longer. He sighed and laid down next to Merlin, making sure he could still feel his servant’s warmth against him. Arthur kept his sword out and in his hand just in case. He wasn’t about to let Morgana take Merlin from him again.

*

Dawn came quickly for Merlin. He awoke to the searing pain in his throat making it almost unbearable to handle. He tried to gasp, scream, anything to get rid of the horrible pain he was in. He sat up quickly and tried to slow his heart rate. Breathing faster made his esophagus hurt more. _Morgana will pay for this_ he thought fiercely. 

“Are you alright?” Merlin heard Arthur’s voice to his left. He turned and saw Arthur sitting up, watching him quietly. 

_I’m fine_ Merlin wanted to say, but like last night nothing came out of his mouth. He settled for a nod. He glanced down but couldn’t actually see the damage to his throat, which bothered him. All he knew was that it burned like hell and felt collapsed somehow. _Maybe magic could help it_ he thought desperately. He knew he couldn’t use it here but looked forward to trying it when they returned to Camelot. 

“It’s still pretty bad,” Arthur commented. He leaned over and touched Merlin’s neck gingerly. “It’s completely black and blue.”

“We’re ready to go sire,” Mordred said, walking over. He glanced at Merlin and frowned immediately. 

_‘Emrys, are you alright?’_ Mordred projected into Merlin’s mind.

 _‘Yes,’_ Merlin responded silently. _‘My throat hurts like hell, though.’_

 _‘I’m sorry for what Morgana did’_ Mordred replied. _‘To one of our own…it’s not right.’_

 _‘She’ll pay for everything she’s done. She has to’_ Merlin responded. 

Mordred simply nodded and returned to the middle of camp. Arthur eyed Merlin curiously but said nothing. 

Merlin stood up and started rolling up the pack Arthur had draped over him last night. 

“Let me,” Arthur said. He bent down and rolled it up himself. “You’re going to ride with me, okay? I don’t want you falling off a horse or something.” A small squeak emitted from Merlin as he tried to laugh. Arthur raised an eyebrow and then burst out laughing. “That was the funniest noise I’ve ever heard. Sorry Merlin.”

Merlin shook his head, grinning as well. It was a pretty funny sound. 

All the knights mounted their horses as Arthur helped Merlin onto the saddle. He climbed up behind Merlin and made sure his servant was secured before giving the signal to advance. 

Merlin let his mind wander since he didn’t need to know where they were going. He liked the feel of Arthur holding him in the saddle securely. Arthur’s muscular arms threaded right under Merlin’s, tensing and relaxing with the reigns. He tried to focus on those things instead of the pain in his throat. Every breath felt like his esophagus was on fire. When the air reached his lungs he was fine, but as soon as it passed through his windpipe it was intensely painful. Morgana had said it would be a shame if he couldn’t talk anymore. He hoped that she was wrong, and it was only temporarily damaged. A wave of dizziness passed over him as he realized he had stopped breathing to try to ease the pain. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Arthur said. He stopped Merlin from slipping off the saddle by wrapping an arm around his midsection. “Are you alright?”

 _Just a little dizzy_ Merlin thought slowly. He focused on breathing for a couple minutes to make the dizziness pass. 

 

Camelot was on the horizon by midday. “Good thing Morgana’s tower wasn’t too far,” Arthur said. Merlin nodded. He had no idea how long had passed when Morgana had taken him but it didn’t seem like more than a couple days. “We’ll take you immediately to Gaius, alright Merlin?”

Merlin nodded again, feeling completely helpless. He had taken his voice for granted; it was insanely irritating to not be able to communicate with others. It wasn’t even possible to scream in frustration because that was taken from him as well. 

Before he knew it Arthur was helping him up the castle steps and into Gaius’s chambers. He couldn’t remember getting off the horse. What has happening to his memory? 

“What’s wrong?” Gaius asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Merlin’s suffered some sort of trauma. Morgana,” he added as Gaius’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Well let’s take a look,” Gaius said. He motioned Merlin to the cot and he sat down gratefully. Arthur removed Merlin’s coat carefully. “Merlin, can you answer me?” Merlin shook his head sadly, tired of being asked that question. Gaius knelt down to Merlin’s eye level and inspected him closely. “I’m going to remove your scarf…” Merlin closed his eyes as Gaius untied the knot slowly, not wanting to see his reaction. “Well you don’t say.”

“It looks worse than before,” Arthur commented quietly. 

“I wonder why?” Gaius mused aloud. 

_Morgana probably infused the wound with magic_ Merlin thought silently. He slowly opened his eyes to see both Gaius and Arthur in his face inspecting the injury. He almost fell backwards in surprise and Arthur had to pull him back onto the cot. 

“My god Merlin you are helpless.”

Merlin shot him a look but couldn’t say anything in return. Gaius hadn’t moved an inch. He finally lifted a finger and traced it across the purple flesh.

“There are definitely traces of sorcery here.”

“What does that mean?” Arthur asked, switching back to worried.

“Something is preventing the tissue from healing,” Gaius responded. “Merlin will be this way for awhile.”

 _Awesome_ Merlin thought, _I can’t wait to stay this way forever._

“How do we fix it?” Arthur asked. 

Gaius eyed Merlin but didn’t respond immediately. 

“Well?” Arthur said impatiently. 

“Sire, could you excuse us for a moment? Merlin needs his rest and I need to contemplate this issue.” 

“I don’t want to leave Merlin’s side,” Arthur protested, moving closer to Merlin. Merlin looked up at Arthur and tried to communicate with his eyes.

 _Please go, I’ll be alright_ he tried to say. Arthur stared back into Merlin’s eyes for a moment, then took a step back. 

“Alright…I’ll be back in an hour. I’ll debrief with the knights in the meantime.”

Gaius watched Arthur leave and waiting a couple minutes before daring to speak. “Merlin, what happened?”

Merlin looked around for a piece of parchment and quill. He scribbled down a couple of quick notes. ‘Morgana knows I’m Emrys. Strangled me. Used magic I guess.’

“I’m going to try something. Will you lay down?”

Merlin laid back on the cot obediently. Gaius placed both of his hands lightly on Merlin’s neck and tried not to press too hard. Merlin felt the sensation and his mind flashed back to Morgana standing over him, her eyes and mouth portraying her anger towards him. He flinched and started flailing, trying to get away. 

“Don’t be alarmed Merlin. I’m going to try whatever magic I have left to heal you. I’m not Morgana. Look at me, focus.”

Merlin forced himself to look into Gaius’s eyes. Morgana morphed back into his mentor’s kind face. He relaxed slightly and tried to take a deep breath before remembering he couldn’t. Gaius nodded once and then closed his eyes. He started chanting under his breath and his fingers twitched slightly around Merlin’s neck. He opened his eyes long enough for Merlin to see the gold flash. 

“Did it work?” Gaius asked.

“I don’t know,” Merlin tried to say. He only got out the ‘I’ before his voice gave out. 

“Well it’s a start,” Gaius replied. “Let me try again.”

Gaius tried the spell two more times. Each time, Merlin’s voice was sustained a little longer, although it was very low, like a whisper.

“Thanks Gaius,” Merlin croaked out.

“It’s only a temporary fix. It will regress back eventually. We need to find out how to get it back permanently.” 

“Where could we go?” Merlin whispered. He was using all his strength to just whisper his responses. 

“I hate to say it but…you might need to travel to the Crystal Cave,” Gaius said quietly.

“Where magic was born?” Merlin asked. “Why there?”

“Your magic cannot heal you completely. Only a strong source of magic can erase Morgana’s evil.”

“Alright,” Merlin replied hoarsely.

“Merlin!” Arthur called, barging into the room. He spotted Merlin and walked over immediately. “You’re sitting up, do you feel better?”

“Yes,” Merlin replied, his voice cracking. 

“Your voice is back!” Arthur said, finally cracking a smile.

“Only for…” Merlin trailed off. He tried to say ‘only for a little while’, but his voice gave out. 

“Temporarily,” Gaius supplied. 

“You figured out how to get it back then?” Arthur asked.

“Yes. Merlin must go to the Crystal Cave,” Gaius said, waiting for Arthur’s reaction.

“What…is that?” he asked. 

“The source of all magic,” Gaius replied.

Arthur pursed his lips, falling silent. 

“You don’t have to come,” Merlin whispered.

“Of course I’m coming,” Arthur stated. 

Merlin watched Arthur intently, watching for something to give his emotions away, but he saw nothing. He was touched to discover that Arthur cared more about him than his hatred for magic. Maybe this was the beginning of better times…

“Merlin?” Arthur asked.

“Sorry?” 

“I asked how long it would take to get there,” Arthur said.

“Um…about a day and a half I think,” Merlin replied slowly. He could tell his voice was already giving out on him. It took a lot of strength to get the last words out.

“Good. Let’s start first thing in the morning.” Arthur started to walk out and then seemed to think better of it. Trying to avoid Gaius’s eyes, Arthur sidled over to Merlin and leaned close to his ear. “Would you like to recoup here…or in my chambers?”

Merlin blushed slightly and tried not to think about Arthur’s lips being so close to his ear. “I could stay with you…” he whispered back. 

“Let me help you up,” Arthur said a little louder. He placed an arm under Merlin’s armpit and hauled him to his feet. “Are you well enough to walk on your own?”

“I think so,” Merlin replied quietly. He turned to Gaius and offered a quick smile. He mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to his mentor before turning to leave with Arthur. He heard Gaius sigh but didn’t turn around.

 

Back in Arthur’s chambers the king helped Merlin to the bed. He removed Merlin’s boots and eased him back on to a pillow.

“Thank you,” Merlin croaked. 

“I hate seeing you like this. This is madness. Morgana has to be stopped!” Arthur kicked the bedpost angrily and started to pace. Merlin let him. Arthur needed to get his anger out before he did something rash. “I know I hate magic but if only we had a sorcerer on our side to match Morgana…”

 _If only you knew_ Merlin thought sadly. 

Arthur stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face Merlin. “I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear any of this. You need to rest.”

“It’s okay,” Merlin replied lowly. He winced at the sound of his own voice. It sounded foreign and strange to him. It was like the ghost of his old voice, haunting him and mocking him.

“Do you need anything? Cold compress, a bath maybe?” Arthur asked.

“No,” Merlin responded, taken aback. Who was the servant and who was the king?

“Alright…”

Arthur stood there a minute unsure of what to do. Finally, he decided on sitting on the bed next to where Merlin lay. He leaned back on his elbow on his side facing Merlin. Merlin watched as his eyes flickered to his neck and something flashed across this eyes. 

“You look different without your scarf.”

“Really?” Merlin asked curiously. He tried to look down but all he saw was his collarbones sticking out. The tinge of purple and brown almost reached that far but not quite. He could almost make out the start of it.

“Yes…different,” Arthur finished. He couldn’t come up with a better word to describe it. He was sure that if Merlin’s neck wasn’t twinged with injury he would look absolutely beautiful. “Different in a good way,” he added, not sure if Merlin caught his meaning. 

Merlin nodded. He had worn scarves his entire life and thought nothing of it. It had become a part of who he was, an extension of his person. “Better without it?” he whispered.

“I’m not sure of that,” Arthur responded. He lifted a finger and traced the outlines of Merlin’s collarbones. Slowly he leaned in and kissed the bruised flesh of Merlin’s neck lightly. Merlin moaned, either in pain or pleasure he wasn’t sure. “Did I hurt you?” Arthur pulled back abruptly. 

“No,” Merlin replied hoarsely. Arthur smiled slightly and leaned in again. This time he kissed the underside of Merlin’s jawbone where the injury wasn’t as severe. That one was all pleasure. Merlin tried to roll onto his side to reciprocate but Arthur stopped him.

“You relax. Lie back and enjoy it.” Arthur grinned. Merlin obeyed eagerly and laid back on the pillow, allowing Arthur to kiss him repeatedly. Arthur worked methodically, peppering Merlin’s jaw with kisses and then moving down his neck until he reached his servant’s collarbone. He spent more time there, outlining the bone jutting out underneath the skin. Merlin couldn’t help but moan throughout Arthur’s onslaught. After enduring so much pain the good feelings were very welcome. He was happy that the moaning was not irritating his esophagus too much; Gaius’s magic had partially healed that as well. 

Arthur slid his hand up underneath Merlin’s shirt as he continued to kiss him. He lightly stroked Merlin’s skin slowly working his way up and down. Merlin raised his hand and gripped Arthur’s shoulder for lack of anything else to do. After a minute or two Arthur’s hand slowly drifted downward, lightly cupping Merlin’s erection through his pants. Merlin strained against Arthur’s hand instinctively, wanting more contact. He teased the bulge by lightly stroking it, driving Merlin crazy. 

“Arthur please,” Merlin panted. He watched Arthur undo his belt and start to slide his pants down. He reached out a hand as if to stop him but thought better of it. Arthur raised his eyebrows but continued anyway. When he reached for Merlin’s undergarments Merlin asked, “are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Arthur replied. He removed the undergarments quickly and gripped Merlin’s penis immediately. Merlin moaned with the sudden contact and bucked his hips up in response. Arthur turned Merlin’s cheek with his free hand and crushed his lips against Merlin’s. Merlin returned the kiss in earnest, his senses overloaded. _He’s really good at this_ Merlin thought at the back of his mind. His hips moved with the rhythm Arthur set until it was almost too much for him to handle. He climaxed within a matter of minutes, moaning Arthur’s name into said man’s mouth. Arthur let the kiss linger another couple seconds before slowly pulling away. He slid off the bed and returned with a piece of cloth. He gently wiped the mess off of Merlin’s stomach and placed a kiss on Merlin’s forehead. “Let’s get those clothes back on so you can get to sleep.”

“Okay,” Merlin replied. He tried to steady his breathing but found it increasingly difficult. Gaius’s magic was already waning. He hoped it lasted long enough for them to reach the Crystal Cave safely. Arthur pulled Merlin’s undergarments back on and then his pants before pulling the sheet up to Merlin’s neck. The cool sheets felt nice against Merlin’s bruised skin. Merlin sighed. 

“Are you alright?” Arthur asked.

“Fine,” Merlin whispered, snuggling under the sheets. “Better if you were with me.”

“Message received,” Arthur replied with a smile. He pulled his shirt off and kicked his boots to the corner of the room. Pulling the sheets back, he slid under and moved close to Merlin. “Let’s hope this trip goes well tomorrow,” Arthur murmured.

“It will,” Merlin replied. He moved closer to Arthur, loving the warmth the king was emanating. Arthur draped an arm over Merlin’s chest and muttered a good night. Merlin returned the sentiment and closed his eyes.

 

Merlin was running through the dark tower trying to escape from something. He turned around and tripped over a raised stone, tumbling to the ground. A dark figure descended on him surrounded by smoke. A hand lashed out and attached itself to Merlin’s throat, crushing his windpipe. Morgana’s face surfaced out of the smoke and Merlin screamed. He thrashed and squirmed but couldn’t get Morgana off of him. 

“Merlin!” Morgana said, but the voice sounded wrong. “Merlin!” It came again, a male’s voice this time. 

Merlin awoke with a start. He tried to sit up but found himself pinned down to the bed. Fearing Morgana again, he started hoarsely yelling and thrashing around again.

“Merlin, it’s me, it’s Arthur!” Arthur said. He stroked his servant’s cheek, trying to calm him down. Merlin turned and saw Arthur’s bright eyes in the darkness and fell back on the pillow whimpering. Morgana still had a hold on him.

“Sorry,” he said softly. 

A knock sounded on the door. Merlin looked to Arthur questioningly but the king just shook his head. “Let them come in, I don’t care.”

“Is everything alright sire?” Gwaine asked, coming into the room. He spotted Merlin in the bed and raised his eyebrows. 

“Yes, Merlin was just having a nightmare. No harm done,” Arthur replied. 

“Right…well call if you need anything,” Gwaine said slowly. He took one last look before leaving the room quickly.

“They’re going to talk,” Merlin muttered.

“Let them.”

He found Arthur’s face again and was surprised to see Arthur completely calm. It was like he didn’t care what anyone thought about the two of them anymore. He figured that was a good thing; now they didn’t have to sneak around. He thought about holding Arthur’s hand in public and internally shuddered. Too soon.

“What were you dreaming about?” Arthur asked curiously.

“Morgana…” Merlin murmured. Arthur said nothing but pulled Merlin closer to him. He understood that pain. 

“Go back to sleep okay? I’m right here.”

Merlin nodded and snuggled against Arthur’s chest. He ignored the burning starting to return to his throat and tried to return to the dream world.

*

“Ready Merlin?” Arthur asked. He was strapping the horses in as Merlin walked down the steps.

“Yes,” Merlin replied. He was carrying a satchel of supplies Gaius had given him. It was a worst case scenario but it was always good to have backups. 

“Good, we’re wasting daylight.” Arthur swung up onto the saddle. Merlin followed suit, struggling slightly, but getting in the saddle nonetheless. 

The two set off alone and rode through the forest quickly. They rode in silence for the most part. Merlin had only heard of the Crystal Caves before but had never been there. He didn’t know how Arthur was going to react when they got there. Was it a good time to reveal his magic? 

The whole rest of the day Merlin argued with himself about whether to tell Arthur or not. There was no clear cut winner by the time evening overtook them. 

“Is something wrong?” Arthur asked. They sat around a roaring campfire eating soup. Merlin was thankful for the soup going down alright. 

“No,” Merlin replied, avoiding Arthur’s eyes. 

“Merlin…I have a question.” Merlin looked at him curiously. Arthur took a breath before jumping right into it. “Why did you tell Morgana you were Emrys? Who is Emrys?” 

“Arthur…” Merlin trailed off. To tell him or not to tell him? 

“Why does she hate you so?”

“The druids…call me Emrys,” Merlin whispered. Arthur had to shift closer to hear what he was saying. 

“I know, you said that to Morgana. What does that mean?” 

“It means…Emrys is said to be the greatest sorcerer to exist,” Merlin whispered. He could feel a lump rising in his throat, and it wasn’t Morgana’s spell. 

“The greatest sorcerer…” Arthur repeated slowly. He looked at Merlin confused. 

“I have magic,” Merlin said, barely audible. 

“You? Have magic? That’s impossible,” Arthur replied. He started to poke the fire, looking away from Merlin.

“It’s true,” Merlin choked out. Arthur stopped and stared Merlin in the face. Merlin returned the stare and whispered, “let me show you.” He raised his arm and Arthur instinctively covered his face. Merlin frowned but directed his arm at the fire instead. He whispered a couple of words and used magic to pick up a stray stick and throw it into the fire. 

“You…you lied to me,” Arthur stuttered. 

“No, more like omitting the truth,” Merlin replied quietly. 

“I can’t believe this! I trusted you, kissed you! Don’t come any closer!” 

Merlin stopped. He had started inching toward Arthur, trying to calm him down. “Arthur, I don’t use magic for-” he tried to finish his sentence but couldn’t. His voice had given out. He stopped trying to advance on Arthur, falling back into despair. 

“For what?” Arthur snapped. He waited for Merlin to respond in vain. “Oh, what perfect timing. Magic did this to you Merlin. Why don’t you just heal yourself with your magic?”

 _I can’t…_ Merlin thought desperately. He reached a hand out to his king but Arthur drew back even further. _I understand_ Merlin thought sadly. He left the warmth of the fire and retrieved his bedroll. He unrolled it and crawled in, tears streaming down his face. _Arthur hates me…I shouldn’t have told him._

Arthur watched Merlin go, silently fuming. _How could he do this to me?! A sorcerer right under my nose…I should have seen it coming._ His hot exterior melted slightly when he saw Merlin’s back spasming, betraying the silent tears. _He’s truly upset about this. I can’t overlook this though._ Arthur took Merlin’s cue and took his bedroll from the horse as well. He climbed in facing Merlin’s backside. _I will see what happens in the morning._

*

Merlin woke up to sunlight streaming in his face. He sniffed and realized his nose was slightly stuffed. Bringing a hand up to his cheek, he realized that his face was slightly wet. Was he crying through the night? 

Rustling was coming from behind him and he turned quickly to see Arthur cleaning up camp. He tried to say good morning but found his voice was still gone. Morgana’s spell must be spreading again. It had completely taken over Gaius’s magical progress; who knew what would happen next. 

“You’re up,” Arthur said stiffly. Merlin nodded and started rolling up his pack. “Your voice is still gone I see.”

Merlin didn’t respond but packed his horse and mounted the saddle. Arthur watched and looked like he was about to say something, but didn’t. Instead, he mounted his horse as well and started back on the path. Arthur checked behind him frequently, as if to make sure Merlin wouldn’t try any magic on him. Merlin kept his eyes downcast, only looking up to make sure his horse was following Arthur’s. Depression crept into Merlin’s mind, poisoning it and plunging him deeper into darkness. _Why did you have to tell him? What good did it do? He doesn’t even want to look at you. You are a disgrace to Camelot. You’re going to fail your destiny._

“Is that it?” Arthur asked, breaking Merlin’s silent barrage on himself.

Merlin nodded in assent, seeing the rock formation ahead. It looked like the drawing in the book Gaius showed him before he left. 

Arthur continued on in silence. There was a silent dialog going on in his mind as well. _Merlin is your loyal servant. He has done nothing but good things for you. He’s put his life down on the line for you. But he lied to you about having magic. Magic cannot be allowed in Camelot. Morgana has proven that._

Merlin stared at Arthur’s back until he thought he was going to bore through Arthur’s chain mail. He had to stop himself so that didn’t happen on accident. He felt a pain creeping into his chest but ignored it. In an act of desperation, Merlin tried calling out to Arthur to get any kind of response from him but his voice was still abandoning him. The searing pain was also back in his throat, making it hard to breathe. 

As they drew closer even Arthur could feel the presence of magic emanating from the cave entrance. All it reminded him of was Merlin’s betrayal. His eyes tightened and he forced himself not to look back at his servant. They reached the opening to the cave and Arthur dismounted quickly. He turned around to make sure Merlin was following him and jumped in surprise. Merlin was not on his horse, yards away, face down in the dirt. 

“MERLIN!” Arthur yelled, despite his previous feelings. He rushed over and turned Merlin over onto his back, panicking. Merlin’s eyes were roaming wildly and he kept opening his mouth but no sound was coming out. “What’s wrong?” Arthur asked wildly.

Merlin clutched at his chest and winced in pain. Arthur brought his ear to his servant’s chest and could hardly feel Merlin’s heartbeat. 

“Your heart…is it slowing down?” he asked quickly. He saw Merlin nod stiffly. “Keep breathing, I’m going to get you inside.” Arthur slung Merlin over his shoulder and headed for the cave opening as quickly as he could. As soon as he got inside he looked around wildly and forced his eyes to adjust to the sudden lack of sunlight. He could see the mouth wasn’t very big but started to slope slowly upward a couple yards in. He headed there immediately and tried to listen for Merlin’s breathing, but couldn’t hear anything. Starting to panic further Arthur started to sprint up the slope, hoping the answer was at the top of the hill. When he reached the top he almost stopped in complete awe. 

The slope opened up to a huge cavern filled with glittering crystals. To Arthur there was no end to how high the cavern went, and he could not see where it ended either. He gently pulled Merlin off of his shoulder and laid him on the ground. He was relieved to see Merlin’s eyes still open but they were fluttering weakly.

“What do I do?” Arthur begged. Merlin held his gaze but offered no answer. “Please, I don’t know what to do.”

Merlin sighed lightly and closed his eyes. Arthur’s breath caught in his throat as he checked Merlin’s mouth. He wasn’t breathing. His ear immediately flew to Merlin’s chest and he couldn’t hear a heartbeat. 

“Damn it Merlin! Don’t leave me!” Arthur shouted. He picked up Merlin roughly and ventured further into the cavern, looking desperately for an answer. “Show me the answer, please! I can’t lose him, not him too…please…” Arthur collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. He clutched Merlin to his chest, willing his servant to live. It took him a second to realize that the glow in the cavern was slowly brightening. He opened his tear-filled eyes and looked around to see a path forming in front of him, lined with crystals. He stumbled to his feet and blundered along the path, not knowing where it was taking him. 

The path stopped at a depression in the cavern. When Arthur looked closely the rocks shimmered; it was a pool. The bottom of the pool was glowing faintly and Arthur knew what he had to do. He hoisted Merlin up over the edge and dipped him into the pool until he was completely submerged. He knelt at the edge of the pool and clasped his hands together, tears still streaming down his cheeks. “Please Merlin…” Seconds ticked by and Arthur was beginning to lose hope. Merlin would surely drown in the pool if he wasn’t already dead…

Arthur gasped as the surface of the pool broke and Merlin shot upwards, gasping for air. He sat up in the water and shook his head, his eyes finally landing on Arthur. “What happened?”

“You stopped breathing…this path led me here and I dropped you in,” Arthur choked out. “I don’t know who helped me…but I thank them.”

“I remember falling off my horse,” Merlin said slowly. “It felt like something seized my heart in an icy grip and I couldn’t breathe. After that it’s all fuzzy.”

“I thought I lost you,” Arthur said. He lurched forward suddenly, joining Merlin in the pool. He pulled his servant into a tight embrace, almost crushing him.

“Hey!” Merlin stuttered out, trying to break the grip. “I’m right here.”

“Sorry,” Arthur eased off slightly. He buried his head in Merlin’s shoulder and let out a small sob. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Merlin replied. He ran his hands up and down Arthur’s back soothingly. The longer he stayed in the pool, the more he felt his strength return. He looked up from Arthur’s back and saw the cavern for the first time. “This place is really beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Arthur responded, pulling back from Merlin slightly. He looked around and allowed himself a small smile. “Would it be stupid if I said it looked magical?”

“No, not at all,” Merlin smiled. 

“I…I’m okay with you having magic,” Arthur said after a brief pause. “I’ve never seen you use it before, but I just know you don’t use it for evil.”

“I don’t,” Merlin affirmed quietly. “I only use it for you.”

“What does that mean?” Arthur asked, surprised.

“It means I only use it to save you, protect you, make sure you never have to feel any pain. I failed once…and I saw what it did to you. I promised I wouldn’t fail you again, which is why I went with Morgana. I see that was stupid now,” Merlin hung his head, still blaming himself for that.

“No, it was brave and selfless. Don’t feel sorry for that,” Arthur said. He placed his finger under Merlin’s chin and lifted his head up, staring into his servant’s eyes. “Don’t ever feel like you have to apologize for that.”

“Okay,” Merlin responded. Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin softly. Merlin returned the kiss and touched his forehead to Arthur’s. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“Well since it appears you do it constantly for me, consider it almost like payback,” Arthur said. “I owe you a lot it seems.”

“Consider it even,” Merlin replied. “I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it to make you happy.”

“You are, without a doubt, the best friend I have ever had.” Arthur took Merlin’s cheek in his hand and stroked it lightly. 

“I thought we were more than friends,” Merlin joked with a smile. 

“Ah, right. What should I call you then?”

“What about partners? We could call each other that,” Merlin offered, no longer joking.

“Alright, partners it is.” Arthur kissed Merlin again, sucking on his lower lip for a moment. Merlin whimpered softly and melted into the kiss. They broke the seal after a couple moments, each of them needing air. “Partners,” Arthur whispered again. “I like the sound of it.”

“Me too,” Merlin agreed. 

Arthur helped Merlin out of the pool of water and they started walking down the path together. Merlin and Arthur’s hands touched by accident but Arthur grabbed his partner’s hand and laced their fingers together. Merlin blushed slightly and smiled to himself. Holding hands with Arthur. They were partners. He was finally whole.


	8. Knight games and surprises

Merlin felt stronger with each passing hour. They were already halfway home and Arthur’s spirits had picked up considerably as well. Merlin couldn’t help but smile when he looked at his partner. He loved saying the word. Partner. They were partners. He remembered Arthur holding his hand and it still brought a light flush to his cheeks. 

“Everything okay?” Arthur asked from his horse. They were going along at a slow pace, next to each other, enjoying themselves for the first time in a while. 

“Yes,” Merlin responded, smiling at Arthur. 

The king returned the smile and squinted ahead into the sun. “We should be back soon.”

“I can’t wait,” Merlin sighed. “All this traveling is killing me.”

“Don’t joke about that,” Arthur replied. 

“Sorry,” Merlin said, grinning. 

“When we get back you’ll have to catch up on chores,” Arthur said.

“What? No way!” Merlin protested. “Shouldn’t I get like…a day off or something?”

“You’ve had a lot of those so far.”

“I was incapacitated!” Merlin said, agitation bubbling to the surface. He searched Arthur’s face to see if he was kidding or serious. Arthur’s face stayed stoic for a minute, but eventually he broke down laughing. 

“Sorry, couldn’t do it. Of course you can have a day off. Maybe I should get a new servant.” 

“What…would I do?” Merlin asked, shocked. 

“I uh…haven’t decided yet,” Arthur admitted. “But it doesn’t seem right to be in a relationship with someone who is serving you. So…I’ve been thinking about it and I want you to stop being my servant.”

“Is it because I don’t do anything right?” Merlin replied, trying to joke about the situation. 

“Well partly yes,” Arthur replied. The smile returned to his face and he punched Merlin in the shoulder playfully. “Mostly because you are such a clotpole.”  
“Hey, don’t go using my words, remember?” 

Arthur simply kept smiling and then turned his head straight ahead again. “We’re close.”

Merlin turned as well and saw the castle coming into view on the horizon. He thought about being able to talk to everyone again and eating normal food. His hand instinctively went to his throat again and he massaged the skin lightly. The pool had sucked the magic out of his system but the flesh had to heal on its own. The bruising had receded for the most part but some of it still lingered. He was only slightly sore and his voice sounded normal again, which he was grateful for. 

“It really doesn’t look that bad,” Arthur said. Merlin turned to see Arthur staring at him again. 

“It might scar,” Merlin responded. He had been afraid of that; his skin would be discolored for the rest of his life, a permanent reminder of what Morgana had done to him.

“So what? You’ll have a nice battle wound to boast about,” Arthur replied. Merlin couldn’t help but smile. It was always about battles with Arthur. 

“Morgana needs to pay for it first though,” Merlin said, suddenly gritting his teeth. The mere mention of her name set him on the edge.

“We’ll figure out a way to defeat her.” 

“I think I know a way,” Merlin said. Arthur raised an eyebrow quizzically. Merlin took a deep breath, oh it felt so nice, and continued. “You know I have magic. If we team up, together we can defeat her once and for all.”

“Ah,” Arthur replied. He still wasn’t used to the knowledge that Merlin was a sorcerer. “We have to tell everyone else about it first.”

“True,” Merlin agreed. 

“Let me handle it, okay?” Arthur asked. Merlin nodded, trusting Arthur’s judgment. He’d known the knights just as long as Arthur but there was a certain bond between a king and his knight’s that Merlin just didn’t have.

“Welcome home Merlin,” Arthur said with warm eyes. Camelot towered over them and Merlin breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was great to be home.

*

Arthur stood in front of his band of closest knights, partially dreading the conversation he was about to have. He had left Merlin with Gaius to catch up and had called the meeting immediately. Business first, though.

“Any news to report?”

“Morgana has not answered our attack yet,” Leon offered.

“She’s not attacking any other surrounding villages anymore either,” Percival added.

“This is better than we’d hoped for,” Arthur murmured. 

“Why have you called us, sire?” Mordred asked curiously. 

“Right. Well, I have good news of course. Merlin is going to make a full recovery.” The knights all muttered their joy at the news. “I have also found out some slightly troubling news. Merlin has revealed to me…that…well, he has magic,” Arthur stammered out. The room fell silent. 

“Are you sure?” Gwaine asked.

“Merlin, magic?” Leon said in disbelief.

“Yes, he has shown me. I have come to terms with it, and I ask that you do the same. It is actually advantageous for us because we now have a power to match Morgana’s. We could actually win this war.”

“That is true,” Mordred said. “Does this mean that magic is allowed in Camelot? Morgana might not attack again if she knew this.”

“I don’t want to make it public yet, but I am prepared to think that prospect over,” Arthur replied. “I think Morgana’s hatred has spread too deep and she will not listen to reason.”  
“Was that the pressing matter?” Percival asked.

“There is one other thing.” Arthur paused, not sure of how to word his next request. “I’m sure you’ve heard…probably from Gwaine…that Merlin has been spending some nights with me.” Gwaine looked away from the king, slightly embarrassed. “It’s okay. Merlin and I have decided to…enter a relationship. I have asked him to step down from being my servant.”

A ripple of surprise spread through the small group of knights. Mordred was watching Arthur very carefully. 

“I want to knight him. Does that seem silly? I trust your opinions wholeheartedly.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea sire,” Leon said. 

“Merlin definitely deserves it,” Percival affirmed. 

“Oh good,” Arthur sighed, relieved the knight’s agreed. “Don’t tell him, though. I want it to be a surprise.”

“How sweet,” Gwaine joked. 

“He’s going to be a special rank of knight, though. I’m not saying I want to employ many sorcerer’s, but Merlin will be magic-specific only. No hand-to-hand combat. We all know he’s terrible at it.” Heads nodded. Arthur couldn’t help but smile at Merlin’s lack of combat skills. “Alright, you’re all dismissed. Thank you.”

The knights left one by one, bowing before they left. Soon Arthur was alone. He left the room slowly and headed toward Gaius’s chambers. When he entered the room, Merlin and Gaius were laughing like old friends again. Arthur smiled and announced his presence. Merlin turned and greeted Arthur with a wide smile. Gaius tilted his head in acknowledgment and returned to his work. 

“Gaius, I was wondering if you could search out a new servant for me,” Arthur asked, walking over to the work table. 

“A new servant?” Gaius asked quizzically.

“Arthur has officially banished me from the role of servant,” Merlin replied happily. 

“Yes, and I’d appreciate a new one that does his job better than Merlin did,” Arthur said, ruffling Merlin’s hair. 

“Hey, I was a really good servant,” Merlin protested half-heartedly. 

“I will do it first thing in the morning, sire,” Gaius replied. 

“Second thing in the morning, a meeting will be taking place tomorrow, early,” Arthur said, trying to hide a smile. He couldn’t wait to see Merlin’s face when the ceremony took place. 

Merlin looked at Arthur curiously but didn’t press it. Gaius simply nodded. 

“Oh and Gaius, Merlin and I are partners now. I hope you can accept that,” Arthur added, not sure if Merlin had already told him or not.

“I have no problem accepting that,” Gaius replied. “I just wanted to make sure you were ready, sire.”

“Ready?” Arthur asked. 

“Because it’s so soon after Guinevere.”

“Oh.”

The realization hit Arthur hard. He had been so engrossed in Merlin he had actually completely forgotten about Gwen. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. His face must have shown his emotions because Merlin’s face fell and he looked away from Arthur. Arthur took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“I’m fine. It’s not too soon. Gwen would have wanted me to be happy.” He willed himself to believe it. 

“As long as you are fine with it sire.”

Arthur turned to Merlin and grabbed his hand. “Ready to go?”

Merlin looked up at Arthur and nodded. “See you later Gaius.”

“Have fun,” Gaius offered. 

Both men left the room quickly, thrown off by Gaius’s comment. When they were back in Arthur’s chambers, Merlin flopped on the bed.

“You’re really serious about getting a new servant then?” Merlin asked curiously.

“Yes. I don’t want to have to boss you around and do things like kiss you at the same time. It would be awkward,” Arthur replied. He lay next to Merlin, enjoying the downtime.   
“Is it too soon after Gwen?” Merlin whispered. Arthur rolled over and looked at Merlin intently. He could see sadness reflected in his partner’s eyes.

“No,” Arthur affirmed. “Like I said, I’m sure she would have wanted me to be happy. I miss her terribly and I still love her, but she isn’t here now. You are, and you make me happy. I think that’s okay.”

“Alright,” Merlin replied slowly. He stretched out his arm and cupped Arthur’s cheek in his hand. “You are a very strong person.”

“Thanks,” Arthur sighed. He leaned into Merlin’s touch and moved in closer to him. He nuzzled Merlin’s nose with his own and looked into Merlin’s sky blue eyes. “How did I become so lucky?”

“I think I should be the one asking that question,” Merlin replied. 

“How long had you fancied me?” Arthur asked curiously. He had never thought of it before, but Merlin liked him way before Arthur even noticed him in that way.

“Oh…a while,” Merlin replied evasively. _Only since I met you he thought._

“Hm.” Arthur flicked the tip of Merlin’s nose with his finger. “Not going to tell me?”

“When I met you I thought you were the most attractive person in Camelot,” Merlin blurted out. “In addition to being a prat.”

“Hey, you’re in a relationship with that prat now,” Arthur joked. 

“My mistake.”

Arthur rolled on top of Merlin and pinned his arms down with his hands. Merlin protested half-heartedly but gave in easily. The king leaned down and kissed Merlin passionately. Merlin returned the kiss in earnest and wrapped his legs around Arthur’s back. Arthur leaned into Merlin, pressing him into the mattress, not breaking the kiss. After a couple minutes Merlin felt a twinge in his neck and had to break the kiss, frowning. 

“Something wrong?” Arthur asked.

“My neck…I guess I’m not up to full strength yet,” Merlin sighed. Arthur leaned down and kissed Merlin’s neck lightly.

“Well I hope your strength returns soon.” Arthur rolled off Merlin and laid next to him instead. “Early night?”

“Sure,” Merlin replied, moving so his head fit in the crook of Arthur’s shoulder. They murmured good night’s and kissed before drifting off to sleep.

 

Arthur was walking towards Gwen. He knew he was dreaming, but it felt so real. She was wearing a white dress and her hair was long and flowing. Gwen reached her arms out to him and he embraced her happily. “I miss you,” he whispered into her shoulder.

“I miss you too,” Gwen replied. She pulled away and stroked his face. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” he responded. 

“You’re more than okay. You and Merlin are an _item_ ,” Gwen said unsmiling. 

“Well…yes,” Arthur stammered. 

“Have you forgotten about me?”

“No!” Arthur said loudly. “I miss you every day. I want to make Morgana pay for hurting you. It’s really hard not to fall apart all the time.”

Gwen stared at him and pushed some hair out of his face. “I don’t want you to be unhappy for the rest of your life.”

“Well, which is it then?! You’re unhappy that I’m with Merlin, but you’re sad that I’m not over you. Tell me, what do you want?!”

Gwen lowered her eyes and looked down at the ground. “I don’t want you to forget me.”

“I will never, ever forget you,” Arthur said forcefully. “I promise.”

“But when you cross over, it will be with Merlin. I’ll be forgotten.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Hey,” Arthur raised Gwen’s chin and smiled. “I love you, okay?”

“I love you too,” Gwen replied. She leaned in and kissed Arthur, who returned it. “Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Make Morgana pay for what she did.” Arthur saw that Gwen’s eyes were ablaze. 

“Of course.”

Gwen disentangled from Arthur and started walking away. She turned around once and smiled at Arthur before disappearing before his eyes. 

Arthur opened his eyes and woke up with tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away with one hand since the other was around Merlin. He looked down at the sleeping man and felt conflicted. Gwen was unhappy he was with Merlin, but she would be unhappy if he was unhappy. Had he taken it too fast with Merlin? It didn’t seem like it. Merlin made him feel alive again…and kept him from spiraling into madness over Morgana or grief. He felt Merlin stirring next to him and groaned inwardly. _Oh great…I woke him up. I don’t want to explain this._

“Something wrong?” Merlin slurred sleepily. 

“No, go back to sleep,” Arthur assured him. 

“Something is wrong,” Merlin said, struggling to wake up. “Did you dream about something?”

“Just…Guinevere,” Arthur sighed. “She…is unhappy.”

“How do you know? It was just a dream.”

“It was more than a dream. It was really her. She thinks I’m going to forget her.” Arthur shook his head. 

“But you wouldn’t do that,” Merlin responded. He rolled over to face Arthur, searching his face in the darkness. “There’s something else.”

“She…was a little unhappy that we’re together,” Arthur managed to get out. Merlin fell silent, soaking in that information. He had been sure that Gwen would have given them her blessing in the afterlife. 

“I’m…I’m sorry. We should stop seeing each other then,” he started to roll out of bed but Arthur stopped him.

“No. I need you.”

“But Gwen doesn’t like it. You still love her.” Merlin stopped struggling but still looked away. 

“Yes I do, but I still like you. Please, stay.”

Merlin grumbled but slid back over towards Arthur anyway. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You don’t have to,” Arthur replied. He hugged Merlin close and tried to banish the words Gwen spoke out of his mind. He couldn’t stop being with Merlin. Merlin kept him sane. He had to focus on the present and worry about Gwen later. Arthur turned his mind to the ceremony tomorrow morning for Merlin and tried to sleep.

*

 

Arthur woke up early the next morning, sliding out of bed silently. He started putting on his ceremonial robes alone. 

“What’s the special occasion?”

Arthur turned to see Merlin sitting up in bed looking at him curiously. “Just some kingly business. You better get dressed too.”

“Alright,” Merlin grumbled. Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle. Merlin was definitely not a morning person. Merlin started pulling on his boots and stumbled around looking for his coat.

“That’s what you’re going to wear?” Arthur asked.

“What’s wrong with it?” Merlin asked, looking down at his red tunic and brown pants.

“It’s so…plain,” Arthur finished lamely. 

“Oh, and I suppose you have something better for me to wear?” Merlin asked.

“As a matter of fact…” Arthur trailed off and walked over to his armoire. He pulled out a slightly puffy dark blue dress shirt and handed it over. Merlin stared at it incredulously and then back at Arthur.

“I have to wear this?” 

“I think it will look good on you,” Arthur smiled. Merlin looked back down at the shirt and pulled off his own. He slowly put the new one on and walked over to the mirror. He winced slightly and watched as Arthur came up behind him. “You look sexy,” Arthur whispered, kissing Merlin’s exposed neck.

“Thanks,” Merlin muttered. 

“Will you fetch me my cape?” Arthur asked. “Please,” he added as an afterthought. It seems ordering Merlin around would be a hard habit to break.

“Sure,” Merlin replied. He retrieved the ceremony cape and swung it around Arthur’s shoulders, clasping it in place. 

The two men walked down the hallway together toward the throne room. When they entered, the entire room was full already. The masses turned and fell quiet as Arthur strode down the runner to his throne. Merlin hung back and stood by Gaius. 

“We are gathered here today to perform a special ceremony,” Arthur said to everyone. “Merlin, could you come up here?”

Merlin jumped a little as everyone’s eyes turned to him. ‘Me?’ he mouthed to Arthur. The king nodded with a smile. Merlin approached the throne slowly, his cheeks ablaze. He felt everyone’s eyes on him as he stopped in front of Arthur, very confused. 

“Merlin, kneel before me.” Merlin obeyed immediately, falling to his knees. Arthur drew his sword and turned it so the flat end was sticking up. He touched Merlin’s right shoulder, then his left. “I know dub thee Sir Merlin, knight of Camelot. Rise, Sir Merlin.”

Merlin rose, a little unsteady on his feet. He looked into Arthur’s eyes and saw that they were warm and glowing with pride. Merlin smiled nervously and turned around to find everyone in the room was clapping. He blinked and a tear escaped his eye, racing down his cheek. He brushed it away quickly and smiled wide. The applause was definitely welcome. 

Arthur descended until he was side by side with Merlin. He tilted his head and grinned boyishly. Merlin nudged his shoulder playfully and yelped in surprise as the knights in the room suddenly ambushed him. They lifted him above their heads and carried him out of the room. Arthur shook his head and dismissed the audience before following. 

The knights carried Merlin out onto the practice field and set him down.

“What’s the big idea?” Merlin asked quickly. 

“We wanted to welcome you into the band of knighthood,” Gwaine grinned.

“Yeah, your first initiation is to beat Percival in a fight,” Leon said, thrusting a sword into Merlin’s hands. 

“B-beat…Percival?” Merlin stuttered. He turned his head to see Percival already in a crouch, sword at the ready.

“Come on,” Percival said, advancing slowly.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be a knight,” Merlin blurted out. He started backing up, using the sword as a shield more than a weapon. He bumped into something and turned around to see Arthur standing there, arms crossed. 

“Come on Merlin, you can do this,” Arthur said. He pushed Merlin closer to Percival, badly hiding his laughter. 

Merlin raised the sword and starting walking towards Percival hesitantly. Percival suddenly raised his sword and started running full speed at Merlin. Merlin yelped, dropped his sword, and high tailed it out of there. The other knights burst out laughing and Percival stopped chasing Merlin. Merlin turned around and narrowed his eyes. “Oh ha, ha, very funny.”

“Extremely,” Mordred snickered. 

“Have you told him yet, Arthur?” Percival asked.

“Told me what?” Merlin turned to Arthur. Arthur approached him and put an arm around Merlin’s shoulder.

“You are not a combat knight. You are the first in a new line of knights; sorcerers.”

Merlin tried to shush Arthur before realizing the knights already knew this. “They…know?”

“Yes, and they’re fine with it like me,” Arthur said. “You do hear me, though? You are not to participate in hand-to-hand combat. The results could be…horrendous.” Arthur shuddered comically and squeezed Merlin’s shoulder. 

“Thanks a lot,” Merlin replied. 

“So come on, show us some magic,” Gwaine said. 

“Really?” Merlin asked. The knights nodded and he shrugged. “Alright.”

He held a hand out and murmured some words. Percival’s fallen sword leaped into the air and swung at the space in front of him. 

“That’s amazing!” Leon said. Percival narrowed his eyes and reached for his sword, but it jumped back out of his reach. 

“Hey!” Percival grunted, lunging for it again. Merlin smiled. 

“Who’s having fun now?” he laughed, moving the sword again. The knights laughed as Percival kept jumping trying to get his sword back. “Alright, alright, that’s enough.” Merlin gently guided the sword into Percival’s hand and he stopped reaching for it, closing his fingers around the hilt in surprise.

“That was very good,” Gwaine said, still laughing. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Merlin replied, still smiling himself. 

“Yes, wait till he does something to you,” Percival said, holding his sword protectively. 

“Don’t be so touchy Percival,” Arthur said. “Merlin doesn’t use his magic for anything but fighting evil, right?”

“Right,” Merlin affirmed. _And only for you, Arthur._

“Come on, _sir_ Merlin, let’s practice,” Arthur said, emphasizing the sir. Merlin thought it still sounded strange, but he liked the way it sounded coming from Arthur. He watched Arthur shed his ceremonial cape and start sparring with Leon. The other knights followed suit as well. 

Merlin stood there for a minute, thinking about what to practice. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, focusing on the well of magic inside him. He slowly expelled the power out of his body and back in, basking in the pure energy he created. It was wonderful to do this in front of people and not in secret. 

_‘Very impressive Merlin’_ Mordred spoke into Merlin’s mind. Merlin jumped, not expecting the mental intrusion, and his concentration broke. 

_‘Would you like to reveal yourself as well?’_ Merlin asked. _‘Arthur would probably be fine with it.’_

 _‘Perhaps. But I think I’ll wait.’_ Mordred responded. _‘I look forward to helping you defeat Morgana.’_

 _‘Thanks’_ Merlin replied. 

Mordred nodded in Merlin’s direction and went back to practicing. Merlin sighed and went back to building up his magical energy. He longed for someone to practice against; magic was not the type of weapon you could really practice alone with. His hand unconsciously went to his throat as his anger flared at Morgana again. If she hadn’t turned evil he wouldn’t have had to reveal himself. Although, then he wouldn’t be as close to Arthur as he was now…

“Sire.” Merlin heard Gaius’s voice across the field and opened his eyes. Gaius was approaching with a tall, lanky young man in tow. 

_That must be Arthur’s new servant_ Merlin thought. He walked over and arrived at the same time Arthur did. 

“Let me introduce you to Lucan, your new servant,” Gaius said. 

Lucan bowed deeply and then stood up straight, keeping his eyes just below Arthur’s gaze. “It is a pleasure to serve you, sire.”

“Very well, Lucan,” Arthur said with a nod. “The first thing you must do is rub down the horses. It hasn’t been done since my return yesterday. After that return here, we’ll probably be done with practice by then.”

“Yes my lord,” Lucan replied and scampered off. Arthur returned to the knights and Gaius turned to Merlin with a grin. 

“I didn’t get to congratulate you earlier. Who would have thought, you, a knight?”

“Yes, strange isn’t it,” Merlin replied. “And how he’s so fine with me having magic and all.”

“We were hoping for that outcome though,” Gaius responded. “Soon magic will be welcome in Camelot again.”

“Yes,” Merlin sighed. “Maybe Mordred can come clean soon.”

“You’re not worried about him anymore?” Gaius asked.

“I don’t think he is much of a threat at the moment. Magic is starting to become accepted and he hates Morgana for what she did to me. I don’t see him turning now.”

“That’s good.”

Merlin smiled. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“I just hope we may be heading for peace finally,” Gaius replied. Merlin leaned in and embraced his mentor fondly. 

“I don’t really know what I should be doing. Arthur won’t let me practice combat,” Merlin whispered.

“Good. You’re not too handy with a sword,” Gaius replied.

“Why does everyone keep saying that,” Merlin grumbled. 

“I must go attend to other things, good luck.” Gaius pat Merlin on the shoulder before turning to leave. Merlin watched him go, sighing. Back to ‘practicing’.

 

After about another half hour of rigorous training for the knights, Merlin had accomplished practically nothing. For the last couple minutes he had been creating butterflies and releasing them into the air. 

“What are you up to?” Arthur panted. He had jogged over and was watching Merlin curiously.

“Just practicing,” Merlin shrugged, letting the last butterfly go. It was a wonderful, bright orange; it fluttered above his head for a moment before shooting off into the sky. 

“Let’s go back to the room. I’ll have…the new servant draw us baths.”

Merlin thought about bathing in the same room as Arthur and blushed. “Okay,” he mumbled. 

As they were heading back to the castle Lucan caught up with them. “I finished with the horses sire. What is your next command?”

“I need you to draw two baths in my chambers,” Arthur responded. Lucan nodded and rushed into the castle ahead of them.

“He’s kind of…strangely obedient,” Merlin commented.

“That’s how a real servant behaves,” Arthur said. “Unlike you did.”

“You knew I was an amazing servant,” Merlin replied with a grin. 

“I’m glad you’re not anymore.” Arthur leaned in and gave Merlin a light peck on the cheek. 

They walked back to Arthur’s chambers together. Merlin could tell Arthur really needed a bath. He had been sweating with the knights all afternoon and Merlin couldn’t remember the last time he drew his partner a bath. When Arthur opened the door Lucan was already there, filling two large tubs with hot water. 

“Your baths are ready, sires,” Lucan said, gesturing to the tubs. 

“Thank you Lucan,” Merlin said, offering the servant a smile. Lucan simply bowed his head and retreated to the corner of the room. Arthur ducked behind the changing wall and started peeling off his sweaty clothes. Merlin waited patiently as Arthur threw the clothes in a basket and then reemerged from behind the wall completely naked. Merlin caught a glimpse of the king’s muscular body in full before Arthur slid into the water with a sigh. 

“Coming Merlin?”

Merlin rushed behind the changing wall, taking his clothes off as well. He also threw his clothes in the basket and took a deep breath. Why was he so nervous? 

He peeked out from behind the wall to see Arthur already starting his bath, not paying attention. Merlin slid out and stepped into the tub quickly. The warm water felt nice on his skin and he immediately relaxed. 

“I haven’t had a bath like this in, well, never,” Merlin commented. He rubbed the water over his arms and through his hair, loving it. 

“Welcome to the good life,” Arthur chuckled. Merlin sank into the tub as far as he could go, never wanting to leave. He absentmindedly starting rubbing a bar of soap over his skin.   
“Lucan, would you send our clothes down to the wash room?” Arthur asked. Merlin had forgotten the servant was still there. Lucan nodded silently and strode over to the basket, picking it up and leaving the room.

“Not being a servant is exciting,” Merlin said, sinking into the water again.

“Did you really hate it that much?” Arthur asked. 

“Oh, no! That’s not it,” Merlin replied quickly. “I loved serving you Arthur, really. It was your decision to promote me, not mine. I would have done it happily till the day I died.”  
“Ah. Well, thank you,” Arthur replied. 

“I’m still here to serve you Arthur, even if I’m not your servant anymore,” Merlin put down the bar of soap and looked at Arthur intently. 

“I know,” Arthur said quietly. He met Merlin’s gaze and held it, something sparking between them. 

“Too bad there isn’t a tub big enough for both of us, right?” Merlin said, breaking the tension.

“That would be nice,” Arthur grinned. 

The water had turned cold. Merlin looked around for a towel and spotted one a couple feet away. He glanced back at Arthur and saw the king was watching him with a smile. He sighed and stood up out of the tub. Stepping out, he walked over and picked up the towel, wrapping it around himself. He picked up another towel and walked it over to Arthur, who accepted it thankfully. Merlin slipped behind the changing wall and started to dry himself off limb by limb. He stepped into his undergarments and pants quickly and started to rub the towel against his hair. As he walked out from behind the makeshift wall he saw Arthur had emerged from the tub as well and the towel was wrapped around his midsection. 

“Done?” Arthur asked. 

“I just want to find a new…shirt,” Merlin replied. He didn’t like that blue dress shirt and wanted to never put it on again.

“Here, wear this,” Arthur tossed a green tunic in his direction. Merlin caught it and pulled it on over his head. 

“Much nicer than the blue one,” he said, approving of the shirt. It was a little baggy because Arthur was more muscular than he was…but it was comfortable. 

“I’m glad you like it,” Arthur replied. “We need to get your clothes in here so you don’t have to go back to Gaius’s.”

“I’ll do it later,” Merlin said. He liked the idea of having all of his stuff here, but it was a little daunting. He watched Arthur duck behind the changing wall and sat on the bed, thinking about the prospect of moving into this room permanently. The knights knew about their relationship, yes, but the townspeople most definitely did not. People would talk. Maybe even Lucan. _What does he think about all this?_ Merlin thought curiously. 

As if on cue, Lucan walked back in with the basket full of clothes. “The laundry is done, sire.” He placed the basket at the end of the bed and stood there patiently. Arthur poked his head over the wall and then emerged a second later, half clothed. Merlin found himself staring at Arthur’s bare chest, unable to look away. 

“Lucan, you are dismissed for the afternoon. You can bring us dinner later,” Arthur said, catching Merlin’s gaze. Lucan bowed and left the room quickly. “What are you looking at?” Arthur teased, crossing the room quickly and tackling Merlin onto the bed. 

“Just you,” Merlin replied. He raised a finger and traced Arthur’s chest softly. 

“Like what you see?” Arthur flexed his pecks against Merlin. 

“Oh, yes,” Merlin breathed, feeling the contours of his partner’s muscles.

Arthur caught Merlin by surprise as he leaned in for a rough kiss. Merlin gripped Arthur’s sides as he returned the kiss, lifting his head off the sheets slightly. Arthur reached down and worked Merlin’s shirt up, teasing it around his head and throwing it across the room. Merlin felt Arthur’s hands tracing up and down his chest as well. Merlin allowed his hands to travel further down and started to slide Arthur’s pants down. Arthur wriggled out of them eagerly, kicking them onto the floor. Arthur then returned the favor, pushing Merlin’s hips into his own as he slid Merlin’s pants down past his knees. 

Merlin raised his hands to Arthur’s face and pulled him closer into the kiss. Their hips connected, grinding their erections together and creating enormous heat. Arthur slid his tongue into Merlin’s mouth and explored the inside passionately. Merlin moaned into Arthur’s mouth and pushed his tongue past Arthur’s lips as well. He felt Arthur’s hand travel down and tore his undergarments off forcefully. He gasped as his partner cupped his penis lightly before traveling south, to his hole. Arthur massaged the area softly before pushing his way in slowly.

“Am I hurting you?” Arthur gasped, breaking the kiss temporarily. 

“No,” Merlin panted, “it feels so good.”

“Good,” Arthur replied, pushing in further. He added another finger and stretched Merlin slowly and rhythmically. Merlin moaned loudly, not caring who heard him. The pleasure was overwhelming. All he could think of was Arthur inside him, that this was really happening, and how insanely good it felt. Arthur pulled out a couple minutes later and Merlin whimpered in protest. He looked over to see Arthur taking a bottle out of his bedside drawer and popping it open.

“Oil?” Merlin asked curiously.

“Yes…I thought it might come in handy,” Arthur replied, pouring some onto his hand. He slid his undergarments off and coated his erection with the substance. He pushed Merlin back onto the bed a little further and positioned himself in between Merlin’s legs. “Ready?” Arthur asked softly.

“Yes,” Merlin panted, ready to give himself completely to Arthur. Arthur guided himself into Merlin and pushed gently, trying not to stretch him too fast. “Oh god,” Merlin groaned and tried to push down to get Arthur to go faster. Arthur placed a hand on Merlin’s belly and continued slow until he was fully in. He started moving back and forth in a steady rhythm making himself and Merlin both moan in pleasure. 

“God…so tight Merlin,” Arthur gasped, increasing the pace. Merlin bucked his hips in response, too overwhelmed for a coherent sentence. 

“Arthur,” he managed to say. He reached for the bedpost and clung onto it for support. Arthur leaned over and grabbed Merlin’s penis, stroking him at the same rhythm as his hips moved. “Harder,” Merlin moaned. Arthur complied and rode him hard into the bed so hard that the frame shook. Merlin almost screamed with his release, coating Arthur’s hand. Arthur came a minute later, thrusting one last time before filling Merlin with his come. He collapsed onto Merlin and their chests slapped together, slick with sweat.   
“Amazing,” Arthur sighed into Merlin’s ear.

“Definitely,” Merlin agreed, still panting. 

“You are absolutely wonderful,” Arthur replied, nibbling on Merlin’s ear playfully. 

“So are you, although I’ve had better,” Merlin joked. 

“Don’t lie, there is no one better than me.” 

“Yes, almighty king,” Merlin grinned. He rubbed Arthur’s lower back and realized they were still sticky. “Maybe we should have done this before bathing.”

“Let’s remember that for the future.” Arthur disentangled himself from Merlin and grabbed a rag. He wiped himself down and then did Merlin. Merlin sat up and pulled Arthur close for one last kiss. He then looked down to see his torn undergarments on the floor.

“Arthur…did you have to rip my underpants?” 

“Oh, sorry about that, caught in the moment,” Arthur said sheepishly. 

“I can just borrow yours,” Merlin smiled. He pulled the green tunic on and grabbed one of Arthur’s underpants from a drawer. When they were fully clothed again, Arthur came up to Merlin and ran his fingers through his partner’s damp hair. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, then added after a minute, “partner.”

Merlin leaned forward so their foreheads touched lightly before whispering in return, “thank _you,_ partner.”


	9. Poisonous intentions

The next few days were full of bliss for Merlin and Arthur. Their previous sexual escapade brought them even closer together emotionally. They also displayed their affection for each other publicly in small amounts. The knights thought it was downright adorable but still made fun of them every chance they got. 

Adjusting to Lucan was a whole different story. Lucan was a quiet presence, but he had a nasty habit of appearing unexpectedly and scaring the crap out of everyone in the room. It got to the point that Arthur had to remind Lucan to announce his presence whenever he entered a room. 

Merlin saw less and less of Gaius, which made him a little sad. He had gone to collect his clothes to bring to Arthur’s chambers and ended up staying for an hour just talking to Gaius. Since then he hadn’t really seen Gaius except for during meetings or in passing. It felt weird to be officially moved into Arthur’s room. He had his own drawer in the dresser and he didn’t have to bother with worrying about staying over and having nothing to wear the next day. 

Arthur was a lot more affectionate than usual. He held Merlin’s hand a lot and rested his head on Merlin’s shoulder when he was tired. Merlin loved the attention and everything, but people were still giving them odd looks. 

“Things are too…quiet,” Merlin said one night over dinner. It had been almost a week and a half since Arthur rescued him from Morgana. Six days since their first time together.

“Getting ancy?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah a little. I feel like something should have happened by now.” Merlin picked up a piece of meat and picked it apart, pulling it into little pieces. 

“Enjoy it. Small periods of peace don’t happen very often.” Arthur placed a hand over Merlin’s, stopping the massacre of the meat. Merlin looked at Arthur and felt better immediately. His eyes were so warm and calm, the opposite of how Merlin was feeling right now. His mind wouldn’t stop racing. What was Morgana doing? Why hadn’t she retaliated? She wouldn’t let Emrys slip out of her reach so easily. His eyes left Arthur’s and the anxiety returned as they fell on Lucan. Something wasn’t right about that boy. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but something was bothering him. “Merlin…” Arthur whined, turning Merlin’s attention back to his partner.

“Sorry,” Merlin replied, looking at Arthur again. He forced a smile on his face that he hoped would make Arthur feel better.

“Why don’t we retire for the night?” Arthur asked and traced Merlin’s cheek with his finger.

“Anything you want,” Merlin replied. 

“Lucan, dismissed,” Arthur commanded. Lucan bowed and left the room quickly. “Come here you,” Arthur growled. He pushed his chair back and pulled Merlin into a tight bear hug, lifting him out of his own chair. 

Merlin laughed and the anxiety dissipated immediately. He allowed Arthur to lift him out of the chair and throw him unceremoniously on the bed. Arthur descended on him quickly and engulfed him in a passionate kiss. Merlin returned it hungrily, wanting the pleasure to eradicate the worries in his mind. Merlin wrapped his legs around Arthur and tugged him closer until there was nothing separating them. They shared body heat, rubbing themselves against each other desperately. Merlin fumbled with the hem of Arthur’s shirt and pulled it over his partner’s head, throwing it behind him. He ran his hands up and down Arthur’s bare back, moaning as Arthur’s erection brushed against his. 

“My turn this time,” Merlin panted as he broke the kiss. He started to roll and flipped positions with Arthur so that he was straddling the king. He bent down and continued kissing Arthur. The king grabbed the hem of Merlin’s tunic and pulled it up roughly. Merlin pulled away to allow his shirt to leave his body and then dove back in. He felt Arthur’s hands on his hips and felt his trousers and undergarments slide down in one go. 

“Hang on,” Arthur said and pushed Merlin off him lightly. Merlin rolled off and pushed his clothes off all the way and kicked his boots off in the process. He saw Arthur was doing the same thing; they both forgot about their shoes. As soon as Arthur finished Merlin jumped on him again. He was eager to return the favor that Arthur extended to him previously. He spread Arthur’s legs and traced his hole lightly. Arthur moaned and bucked his hips up against Merlin’s. Merlin smiled and lowered his head to Arthur’s chest, kissing him all over and sticking his finger in at the same time. He loved the way Arthur gasped and spasmed as he stretched him slowly. 

“Where was that bottle again?” Merlin asked, breathing hard. Arthur raised a shaky hand and pointed to the bedside drawer. Merlin withdrew from Arthur and opened the drawer. He took the bottle out quickly, pouring a generous amount on his hand. He returned to his partner, getting himself in position, and rubbed the oil over his own throbbing erection. He guided himself right up against Arthur’s hole and heard Arthur gasp lightly. He continued anyway, pushing himself in slowly and reveling in the pleasure he felt immediately. 

Arthur moaned loudly and spread his legs even further, inviting Merlin in. He took the invitation eagerly, going until he was fully inside Arthur. Merlin started moving in and out at a slow pace. He was completely lost in the moment.

“God…feels so good,” Merlin groaned. He increased his speed, making Arthur squeal in pleasure and grip the bedsheets tightly. Merlin took one hand and lifted Arthur’s leg over his shoulder. This allowed him to plunge into Arthur even deeper and his partner’s cries increased in volume.

“Oh Merlin, right there,” Arthur cried, thrusting back into Merlin as hard as he could. Merlin complied, increasing his speed a little more, and moved his hand to surround Arthur’s penis. 

Arthur lifted a hand and squeezed Merlin’s hip hard as he climaxed onto his stomach. Merlin thrust a couple more times before he came as well and his legs gave out. He rolled off of Arthur and fell on his back onto the cool sheets, breathing hard. He tilted his head to see Arthur with a pleasure-filled smile still on his face.

“You’re too cute,” Merlin commented. He kissed Arthur lightly on the cheek and laid his head next to his partner’s. Arthur didn’t respond, still trying to get his breathing under control.

“You’re good,” he managed to reply after a couple minutes.

“Surprised?”

“No…satisfied,” Arthur replied, still smiling. 

“Let’s clean up,” Merlin responded. He pushed himself off the bed and retrieved a rag off the dresser. He cleaned Arthur first and then himself before throwing it in the hamper.

“Someone has to be suspicious,” he said, shaking his head. The hamper had a lot of damp cloths in them. 

“Let them,” Arthur sighed. He had put his pants back on and was back on the bed. He rolled over onto his stomach and pat the empty sheets next to him. “Come lie with me.”

“How can I refuse?” Merlin replied with a smile. He crossed over and picked up his pants, putting them on as well. He laid next to Arthur and snuggled close to him. They lay that way for awhile, not talking, enjoying each other’s presence. “I want to stay this way forever,” Merlin said. 

“Me too,” Arthur replied, pulling Merlin closer. They drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

 

Arthur awoke to a rustling in the room. He sat up quickly, a little disoriented, trying to find the source of the noise. He reached a hand out to make sure Merlin was still there, which he was. He heard the rustling again and grabbed his sword that was hidden next to the bedpost. He crept out of bed and willed his eyes to adjust to the complete darkness. He thought he saw a figure by the armoire and lashed out but only found empty air.

“Show yourself,” Arthur growled menacingly. Silence responded to him. He continually scanned the room but saw nothing else moving. Sighing, he returned to the bed and sat on top of the sheets, refusing to go back to sleep. “Merlin,” he whispered, nudging his partner. He didn’t respond and Arthur pushed even harder. Panic overtook him and he tore out of bed. He threw open the door and shouted down the hallway hoping there was a guard on duty nearby. He heard footsteps and watched Percival walk quickly towards him.

“What’s wrong sire?” Percival asked. He was holding a torch that cast frightening shadows on the wall.

“Come quickly, bring the torch,” Arthur said and disappeared back into his room. Percival followed and saw Merlin lying on the bed, completely still. “Bring it here.” Arthur knelt by Merlin’s side and started shaking him roughly, receiving no response. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Percival asked. 

“I don’t know. I heard something in the room and I woke up, but couldn’t find anyone. Leave the torch, go sound the alarm.” Arthur took the torch from Percival and watched the knight leave quickly. Within minutes the bell was sounding and Merlin was still unresponsive. Arthur put his ear to Merlin’s bare chest and heard a heart beat. He was alive. But why wasn’t he waking up?

“Sire, I brought Gaius,” Leon entered the room with Gaius who was still wearing a white nightgown. 

“Gaius,” Arthur cried, doing a bad job of holding himself together. “Merlin won’t wake up. Nothing I do works!”

“Let me see,” Gaius replied calmly. He walked over to the unconscious sorcerer and put two fingers against his neck. “He has a pulse. A faint one, but it’s there.”

“I heard his heart beat,” Arthur said shakily. 

Gaius opened Merlin’s mouth and peered inside. “Torch please,” he said. Arthur brought the torch closer to Merlin and noticed something leaking out of Merlin’s mouth.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Some sort of substance,” Gaius replied. He collected some on his finger and rolled it between his index finger and thumb. He peered at it closely and sighed. “Some sort of poison no doubt.”

“It’s Morgana,” Arthur whispered fiercely. “It has to be.”

At the mention of her name, Merlin’s chest lit up as bright as day. Arthur and Gaius both stumbled back in surprise. When their eyes had readjusted to the sudden flash and lack of light they were speechless.

“Emrys must die,” Leon read quietly. 

“Sorcery,” Gaius said. He touched the golden letters on Merlin’s chest and nodded. 

“That is definitely Morgana,” Arthur said with more conviction than before. So Merlin was right, it had been too quiet. “Can you identify the poison?”

“It’s very unusual,” Gaius replied. The poison had already hardened on his fingers and was crumbling onto the floor. “It’s been magically enhanced.”

“What was the root poison then?” Arthur demanded. They were wasting precious time. 

“I believe it might be Amatoxin.” Arthur gestured for him to continue. “It is a poison that attacks your liver and kidneys. You slip into a coma and never come out.”

“A coma…” Arthur repeated, looking down at Merlin. He looked so helpless. “How do we help him?”

“It seems the only one who could help him…would be himself,” Gaius said quietly. 

“There’s no cure?” Arthur exploded. 

“Not as of yet, no. We have no way to flush the toxin out of the liver and kidneys safely. What we need is a sorcerer.”

Arthur yelled in frustration and kicked the bedpost. “Leon, see if anyone suspicious was caught around the castle.”

“Yes sire,” Leon responded and left immediately. Arthur collapsed onto the floor and put his head in his hands. 

“Why does this keep happening to Merlin? What has he ever done to anyone?”

“He is the most powerful sorcerer in the world,” Gaius said. He sat in a chair and sighed. “Maybe the more potent parts of the toxins will be burned away by his magic.”

“You think so?” Arthur asked, raising his head. Gaius could see tears escaping from Arthur’s eyes but chose to say nothing about it.

“It is a possibility.”

“Arthur…” 

Arthur jumped up at Merlin’s voice and ran to his side. His partner was still unconscious but his eyes were fluttering slowly. “I’m here Merlin,” Arthur said, choking up. He grabbed Merlin’s hand and squeezed it in both of his. The letters on Merlin’s chest still shone in the darkness but were losing their luster. 

“Sire.” 

Arthur turned to see Percival standing in the doorway, empty handed.

“You didn’t find anything?” Arthur asked.

“No. Seems the little traitor got away, or is hiding here somewhere.” 

“Keep looking. It seems a traitor has, in fact, infiltrated our castle.”

Percival nodded and left the room again. Gaius watched Arthur intently. Arthur stared at the door for another couple seconds before turning back to Merlin. He stood up and got back on the bed. 

“I’m not leaving Merlin,” Arthur whispered. He rolled onto his side and pulled Merlin close to him, protectively holding him. 

“I’ll see what I can dig up on this poison,” Gaius said, standing up. He left the room quickly. Arthur remained alone with his unconscious partner. He allowed himself to sob quietly now that he was alone. Tears streamed down his face and clung to Merlin’s soft skin as Arthur rocked him side to side slowly. 

“Come back to me please,” Arthur whispered. He buried himself in his partner’s hair and waited for morning to come. 

*

Dawn came not soon enough for the king. He stayed in the same position all night, refusing to let Merlin go. Merlin hadn’t spoken anything since his name and had become unresponsive again, but Arthur had hope. The knights had also searched all night but had come up empty handed. 

Arthur stirred slowly and let Merlin leave his grip temporarily. The magical words were finally gone from Merlin’s chest, leaving it clean and pure once again. There was a knock on the door and Arthur called them in gruffly. 

Lucan entered the room with two breakfast platters. He set them down on the table but stopped short when he saw Arthur’s state and Merlin on the bed.

“What happened sire?” Lucan asked.

“Merlin’s been poisoned,” Arthur replied heavily. He stood up and took the water goblet and returned back to the bed. He gently opened Merlin’s mouth and poured some of the water down. His partner swallowed it easily, making Arthur feel a little better.

“I’m so sorry sire,” Lucan said quietly. 

“Sire,” Gaius walked into the room without knocking. Arthur let him, if he had news on Merlin he didn’t care about formalities.

“Any new developments?” Arthur asked impatiently.

“Yes. The druids have an amulet that draws poisons out of the body. That is the only way to save Merlin from never awakening again.” 

“Druids.” Arthur repeated. “They aren’t too fond of me.”

“May I suggest taking Sir Mordred with you?” Gaius said quietly. Arthur raised an eyebrow but Gaius simply shook his head. “Ask him, sire.”

“Lucan, fetch Sir Mordred,” Arthur said. Lucan left the room and he turned to Gaius. “If you think this will work, we will depart immediately.”

“I’m sure of it, sire,” Gaius said. “Should I watch over Merlin or is he traveling with you?”

“He should come, I think,” Arthur replied. “That way we can use the magic immediately.”

“Very well. Then, if you will excuse me.” Gaius bowed and left the room as Mordred was entering it.

“You wanted to see me, sire?” Mordred asked. His eyes flitted to Merlin quickly and back to Arthur. 

“Yes. Gaius said to ask you about the druids,” Arthur replied. Something flashed across Mordred’s face quickly but then it was gone. “They don’t like me very much, but they have an amulet that will draw the poison out of Merlin’s system. Will you help me?”

“Sire…there’s something you need to know,” Mordred said quietly. Arthur waited patiently and Mordred took a deep breath before speaking. “I…I am a druid. That’s why I can help. I know where they are, and they will help me.”

“You, a druid?” Arthur asked in surprise. “You have magic too?”

“Yes,” Mordred whispered. 

“That doesn’t surprise me at this point. Come on, we’re wasting daylight. Lucan, ready the horses. I’ll carry Merlin down myself.”

“T-thank you sire,” Mordred stammered. Arthur turned and picked up Merlin gently. He placed him over his shoulder and motioned for Mordred to follow him out of the room. The two walked out of the castle as Lucan brought their horses over. Arthur slung Merlin over his horse and mounted it right after. Mordred hoisted himself up as well and looked to Arthur. 

“Show us the way,” Arthur gestured. Mordred nodded and set off at a quick pace to the western gate. 

“So…you don’t care that I have magic?” Mordred asked after awhile.

“No, not really. I’m a little hurt that you hid it from me, but I understand why. It took Merlin so long to tell me, of course you wouldn’t.”

“I really appreciate it sire,” Mordred responded. 

“So where are the druids anyway?”

“A little ways west of here, hidden behind a canopy of vines covering an opening in the rock formation in the area,” Mordred explained awkwardly. “But you must promise not to tell anyone else about it.”

“I won’t, you have my word,” Arthur promised. 

They stopped around midday to have lunch and check on Merlin. Arthur made sure his heart was still beating as Mordred passed him a roll of bread and a hunk of cheese. Arthur ate slowly, never taking his eyes off of Merlin’s face.

“You really care for him, don’t you?” Mordred asked quietly.

“Yes,” Arthur replied immediately. “It seems to be Morgana’s wish to torture and eventually kill everyone I care about.”

“She is consumed by a hatred that is fueled by decades of injustice, but she has taken it too far.” Mordred moved closer and brushed some hair out of Merlin’s eyes. “Merlin is a magic user too. She shouldn’t be trying to kill him.”

“She’s not in her right mind,” Arthur agreed. “Something snapped in her.”

“I just hope that the druids will help me,” Mordred replied. “Being a knight of Camelot and all.”

“They shouldn’t turn their backs on one of their own so easily,” Arthur replied. 

They finished lunch and packed up the horses again. Merlin was placed back on Arthur’s horse and they set off into the slowly setting sun. 

“We’re close,” Mordred said. They had entered into a dense forest area and were forced to guide their horses on foot. The trees were getting a little farther apart until they reached a large rock formation that spanned as far as they could see. Mordred walked along the wall and ran his hand across the stone. 

“It just looks like a regular piece of rock,” Arthur said. 

“Yes, to someone who does not possess magic,” Mordred replied with a smile. Arthur saw his eyes flash and he pulled aside a long row of vines. Arthur peered close and saw that there was a hole in the rock that was slowly getting bigger. 

“Wow,” Arthur gasped as the hole transformed into an opening in the rock. 

“You’ll have to carry Merlin from here,” Mordred replied. Arthur nodded and picked Merlin up over his shoulder. He followed Mordred through the hole, still amazed that it appeared out of nowhere. 

“Where are the druids?” Arthur whispered. 

“Patience, sire,” Mordred replied. 

They walked into a clearing that looked like a whole different part of the forest. It was filled with the sounds of laughter and metal clanging together. Mordred put a finger to his lips as they approached slowly. The trees were thinner here, and the grass was flat from the constant motion of feet. It was getting harder to see, though, as the sun was dipping below the trees. 

“Hello, is anyone there?” Mordred called out. The laughter stopped and the trees fell silent. “It is I, Mordred.”

“Welcome back, young Mordred,” a man said. He appeared from behind a tree to their right. Arthur hadn’t even heard him approach. “Who is your friend with you?”

“This is King Arthur Pendragon,” Mordred replied, “and Sir Merlin, or as you know him, Emrys. We need your assistance.”

The man raised his eyebrows at the mention of Emrys, but did not mention it. “Come, friends. You may call me Hamna.”

Arthur and Mordred followed Hamna farther into the trees. As soon as they rounded a corner Arthur was taken aback to see an entire village nestled in the trees and undergrowth. 

“All of the druids reside here?” Arthur asked.

“Yes. This is our village. As you can see, we don’t get many visitors.” Hamna turned around and smiled at Arthur. It was a sincere smile that put the king at ease. Merlin’s cure was within his grasp. As they walked through the small village, Arthur could see many young children watching them. A couple of the older ones waved to Mordred, who smiled and waved back to them. The adults were hidden in the shadows, no doubt watching as well. “You can lay Emrys here,” Hamna said, motioning to a moss covered patch of earth. 

“Thank you,” Arthur said. He knelt down and gently laid Merlin back on the ground. He did one last heart beat check and nodded to himself; Merlin still lived.

“Now, what seems to be the problem?” Hamna asked, addressing Mordred and Arthur.

“Emrys…Merlin, has been poisoned,” Mordred said.

“It’s something called Amatoxin, but it’s been corrupted by magic,” Arthur added. “Our physician Gaius said you had an amulet that can draw it out?”

“Ah,” Hamna said. He pressed his hands together and brought them to his lips. “The Amulet of Otrov. We do have what you seek.”

“Oh, thank you,” Arthur burst out, relieved. 

“But you must do something for us in return, Arthur Pendragon.”

“Anything,” Arthur replied. 

“You come here with Mordred, one of us. Is magic once again safe in Camelot?”

“We are working on it,” Arthur replied.

“If you can guarantee the return of magic to Camelot, we will help you,” Hamnas said. 

Anger flared within Arthur immediately. He was alright with Merlin and Mordred possessing magic, but was he ready to let Camelot be consumed by it once again? But if he didn’t, Merlin would never wake up. He wouldn’t get to see his partner’s sparkling blue eyes again, or his smile. He looked up to see Mordred watching him intently, as well as the entire druid community. His father was going to come back from the dead and kill him for sure. 

“I can guarantee that as soon as I return magic will no longer be outlawed in Camelot. Now please, help Merlin.”

A slow smile spread across Hamna’s face. “Very well, young Pendragon. You have proven to be a just and understanding king. We shall help you revive Emrys.”

“Call him Merlin,” Arthur replied, “for that is how he wants to be known.”

Hamna didn’t respond but turned to a woman who had come up behind him. He whispered something in her ear and she disappeared. Arthur turned and sat down next to Merlin. He felt Merlin’s forehead and realized it was much warmer than before. His partner was still unconscious but seemed to feel discomfort; Arthur saw his brows furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down.

“Hurry please,” Arthur said to Hamna. “He’s getting worse.”

“It is coming,” Hamna replied. 

In a couple minutes the woman returned with a piece of cloth in her hands. Arthur looked at it curiously as she handed the cloth to Hamna. 

“Mordred, come here,” Hamna said, motioning Mordred over. Mordred complied. “You and Arthur must work together to draw the poison out of E-Merlin. You know what to do.”

Hamna unwrapped the piece of cloth to reveal a small copper disc. Mordred took the disc carefully, looking at the inscription. It was engraved with a series of swirls and lines criss-crossing with an eye in the middle.

“What does he mean?” Arthur asked. He hated not being in the loop.

“Hold on,” Mordred said. He knelt on the other side of Merlin. “You need to be exactly opposite of me. When I place the disc on Merlin’s chest you need to place your hands over it first and I will place mine over yours. The poison is going to be drawn out but the magical part of it is going to be looking for somewhere to go.”

“What does that mean?” Arthur asked. 

“It means that I need to trap it within the disc. It might escape though, so I need you to be completely focused and don’t panic no matter what. It needs a healthy medium to pass through, which is where you come in.”

“Anything to save Merlin,” Arthur replied. “Let’s do this now.”

“The disc will react to the poison immediately, so put your hands over it right away,” Mordred said. He swallowed and held the disc over Merlin’s chest. He let it fall and Arthur shot his hands out immediately, encasing the disc on Merlin’s chest as soon as it hit.

He could feel the disc warm up under his hands and then felt the warmth of Mordred’s hands over his. He tried to focus on helping Mordred draw the poison out. Mordred was chanting something low under his breath, words that Arthur did not understand. There was a tingling in the palms of his hands and he almost pulled his hands back when a shock went through them. Mordred’s hands, stronger then they looked, kept his in place as the poison started to leave Merlin’s body. Arthur heard Merlin moan and wanted desperately to look at him and make sure he was okay. It took all his strength to concentrate on the poison, to make sure it completely left his partner’s body. Mordred’s chanting became louder as the shocks increased until Arthur thought his hands were going to fall off. Finally, the current slowed down and Arthur could almost feel his hands again. Mordred shouted a last word and everything stopped. 

Arthur didn’t dare to speak. He waited for Mordred to make the first move. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, Mordred removed his hands from Arthur’s. The king followed suit and removed his hands as well. The disc lay on Merlin’s chest, looking the same it had before the spell. Mordred removed the disc and stood up. He walked it over to Hamna who covered it in the same cloth again. Only then did Arthur turn to Merlin’s face and searched it for signs of life.

“Merlin,” he urged. He went to lift his hands but found he couldn’t move them. 

“It will take a moment for Merlin to churn out the remnants of the poison. It will also take a couple minutes for the feeling to return to your hands,” Hamna said.

Arthur tried to be patient but he wanted to see Merlin better so badly. His partner still wasn’t moving and it was killing him. 

“Merlin will be fine Arthur,” Mordred said. 

“I still can’t feel my hands,” Arthur snapped, misdirecting his anger. He lifted his arms but his hands felt like bricks. There was a slight tingling in his fingertips but nothing else.

“Arthur?” Merlin rasped. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around, confused at all the foliage. 

“Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed. He inched closer and smiled wide. “You’re awake.”

“Yes, but where are we?” Merlin asked confusedly. 

“With the druids,” Mordred replied.

“Mordred? Druids?” Merlin brought a hand to his head. “Why?”

“You were poisoned. We sucked it out with some…disc thing. I can’t feel my hands, though. Oh wait, I can feel my fingertips,” Arthur said. He flexed the tips of his fingers experimentally. 

Merlin sat up quickly and grabbed Arthur’s hands. “Why can’t you feel them?”

“The poison went through me…or something,” Arthur replied. He could feel that Merlin’s hands were cold. “Your hands are cold.”

“Sorry,” Merlin replied, dropping Arthur’s hands.

“No! Don’t…I didn’t mean it like that,” Arthur muttered. Merlin took Arthur’s hands in his again and blew on them lightly, sending sensations through Arthur’s numb hands.

“We were happy to assist you, Emrys,” Hamna said. 

“Yes, thank you,” Merlin said, finally acknowledging the druid colony. “Who poisoned me?”

“We aren’t sure. There might be a traitor in our midst…again,” Arthur replied. “Working for Morgana.”

Merlin nodded and leaned forward, resting his head on Arthur’s shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re here. You’ve saved my life twice now.”

“Payback, remember?” Arthur kissed the top of Merlin’s head. 

“Would the sires like to stay for supper?” Hamna asked. Arthur looked to Merlin who shrugged. The king then turned to Mordred who gave a slight nod with a small smile.

“Sure,” Arthur replied. Hamna bowed and withdrew from the group, leaving them alone.

“So why is Mordred here again?” Merlin asked again.

“I drew the poison out of you…with magic,” Mordred replied. Merlin’s mouth opened and he stared at Mordred in surprise.

“So you told him then?” 

“Yes. I think he’s fine with it,” Mordred winked at Arthur. 

“You knew?” Arthur asked.

“Oh yes…Mordred and I have been friends for a long time,” Merlin grinned. 

“Huh.” Arthur sighed. He twitched his fingers and smiled. “The feeling is coming back, finally.”

“Good.” Merlin rubbed them together gently. 

“Why don’t you tell Merlin what you promised in exchange for his life,” Mordred said. He sat down across from the two lovebirds with a knowing smile on his face.

“What did you promise?” Merlin asked curiously. 

“I promised…that magic would be safe in Camelot once again,” Arthur whispered. He lowered his eyes and raised them slowly to look back at Merlin’s face.

“Really?” Merlin responded. “That’s…amazing.”

“Glad you think so,” Arthur muttered. 

Merlin removed his hands from Arthur’s and took his partner’s face in his hands. He forced Arthur to look at him and his eyes searched for the problem. “What’s wrong?”

“My father…would kill me if he was here,” Arthur said at last. 

“But he’s not,” Merlin said. “You are king now, you can do whatever you want.”

Arthur nodded and fell silent.

“You are the best king Camelot has ever seen,” Mordred added. “Your father tried to have me killed, but you made me a knight.”

Arthur felt himself tearing up for some reason. He went to brush the tears away before they spilled over but his hands hadn’t fully recovered yet. He found Merlin doing it for him. It was like he could read his mind; insane. 

“I can’t wait for this all to be over,” Arthur murmured. “We could finally start a period of peace.”

“It’s coming,” Merlin affirmed. 

Hamna reappeared and motioned them over for dinner. Merlin helped Arthur to his feet and the three men followed the druid man to an open area that was already full of men, women and children.

“All of these people are druids?” Arthur whispered. 

“Yes,” Mordred replied. “We are a very close-knit group but our population has been growing.”

Hamna motioned them to his left before sitting down. They took seats near some of the other men and gratefully accepted bowls of stew. Arthur’s hands had almost fully recovered and it was a relief to be able to use them again on his own. He noticed Merlin ate quickly and realized he was probably extremely hungry. Arthur, however, ate slowly, still contemplating the repercussions of his recent decisions. Had he doomed Camelot to fall under magical siege again? For some reason, he knew that wouldn’t happen this time. He glanced over at Mordred and Merlin and couldn’t help but smile. His closest friend, now his partner, had kept the secret of magic from him out of fear. One of his most loyal knights also had to harbor that secret for a long time. It wasn’t right, Arthur decided. _People shouldn’t have to live in fear of what they really are_ Arthur thought. _I will stand by my decision._

“Attention, fellow druids,” Hamna said after everyone had their fill of stew. “I have an announcement to make.”

Merlin raised his eyebrows at Arthur but said nothing. 

“King Arthur has made the decision that, as soon as he returns to Camelot, magic will no longer be outlawed. We no longer have to hide!”

Cheers went up through the crowd. Arthur smiled uncomfortably and waved at a couple people who smiled at him. 

“You’re a big hit now,” Merlin murmured, chuckling. 

“As long as I have you, I can handle anything,” Arthur said. 

“I wonder how the citizens of Camelot will react to this,” Merlin said thoughtfully. 

“Not too badly I hope,” Arthur replied.


	10. Bribes and treachery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are nearing the conclusion of my story. Thank you to everyone who has read it and especially to those who started when I posted my first chapter! I love you all. Please let me know what you think - I'm terrible at ending fics and will do many different things to have it never end :)

Merlin, Arthur and Mordred spent the night with the druids. It was a nice change to be completely secluded with no hope of Morgana reaching them. Arthur understood why the druids took such lengthy precautions to hide from the Pendragons and the rules of Camelot.

He spent most of the night awake staring at the stars. They seemed more beautiful somehow here. Arthur wondered if it had anything to do with magic. It was hard to understand magic when he had been so sheltered from it and only shown the evil side. He was hoping that Merlin could teach him differently, and Mordred as well. It was almost a relief to have magic accepted in Camelot again. Arthur knew that there would always be those who used magic for evil, like Morgana, but the good far outweighed the bad. 

“Are you still awake?” Merlin whispered. Arthur could barely make out Merlin’s lumpy form underneath the bedroll. 

“Yes,” Arthur replied quietly. 

“Why?” Merlin’s curiosity was never ending sometimes.

“Just couldn’t sleep,” Arthur responded. “The stars are really beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Merlin replied. “I used to stare at them a lot my first nights in Camelot.”

“When I was such a prat to you,” Arthur said, remembering the earlier days.

“And I was an infatuated boy just destined to be your servant,” Merlin sighed.

“Do you ever wish you could go back to that time?” Arthur asked.

“Do you?” Merlin replied. 

“Sometimes, when I miss Gwen terribly. But at this moment, no, I don’t want to go back.”

“I don’t want to go back either.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do about this traitor,” Arthur said with a sigh. He still had no clue as to who it was. 

“We’ll figure it out together,” Merlin responded. Arthur couldn’t help but smile. Even after being poisoned Merlin was still positive. 

“Yes we will. Now let’s try to sleep.” Arthur rolled over so that he was facing Merlin. His eyes had adjusted enough so that he could see Merlin’s blue eyes staring at him in the darkness. 

“Sure thing partner,” Merlin replied. He started at Arthur for a couple more minutes before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

*

When the trio was ready to leave, Mordred said goodbye to the druids reluctantly. When Arthur told him he was free to stay, Mordred shook his head with a sad smile.

“I made a commitment to Camelot and I intend to keep it,” Mordred said.

“Very noble. I understand,” Arthur replied. They set off immediately. Arthur wanted to make sure nothing happened at Camelot while they had been gone. There wasn’t a horse for Merlin so he rode with Arthur again. 

Merlin loved traveling with Arthur on the same horse. He wasn’t fully aware the first time he did it but it was oddly freeing. It was nice to lean back against Arthur and not worry about what the horse was doing or where they were going. Plus, when he leaned into Arthur he could feel Arthur’s breath on his neck, which was always welcome. 

Arthur had one hand on the reigns and one on Merlin’s leg. The ride was less than a day so the three were taking their time. Mordred stayed silent most of the time, not knowing what to say to the king and his partner. They talked about ways to defeat Morgana, though. All three of them knew the time was drawing near and she needed to be stopped once and for all.

“With two of us against her, her magic should be pretty much useless,” Mordred said.

“She is extremely powerful though, we need to be careful,” Merlin replied.

“Not more powerful than Emrys, no one is.”

“But she will have an army with her,” Arthur added. “There is a human element we need to factor in.”

“Of course. There is also no warrior more powerful than you Arthur,” Mordred responded. “And our knights can defeat anyone.”

Arthur nodded and fell silent. Camelot appeared on the horizon and they quickened their pace slightly. 

“I just want to keep everyone safe. Especially you Merlin. Morgana really wants to kill you,” Arthur whispered the next part into Merlin’s ear. “I won’t let her.”

“Thanks,” Merlin mumbled, blushing slightly. 

“We have reached the outskirts of the lower town,” Mordred announced. 

“Good, let’s go,” Arthur said. They rode through the lower town and up to the steps of the castle. Lucan greeted them at the base of the steps and took both horses to the stables. Mordred bowed to Arthur and Merlin, hopped up the steps, and disappeared into the castle. 

“Let’s go tell Gaius you’re alright,” Arthur said. He wrapped an arm around Merlin’s waist and guided him up the steps. 

“Yes, let’s,” Merlin said. He allowed himself to be guided even though he thought it wasn’t necessary. He had seen Arthur use the same mannerisms on Gwen so it didn’t bother him too much. 

Once they reached Gaius’s chambers, Merlin and Gaius embraced fondly for a couple minutes. When they pulled away, Merlin could see tears in the corners of his mentor’s eyes.

“Happy to see me?” Merlin grinned.

“You have no idea,” Gaius replied.

“Something happen while we’ve been gone?” Arthur asked. 

“Not something…in the sense of tangible things,” Gaius said carefully. Merlin shot him a quizzical look but Gaius remained silent.

“Like…spirits?” Merlin pressed.

“Not exactly,” Gaius replied.

“Then what?” Arthur asked tersely. 

Gaius didn’t reply but motioned Merlin and Arthur over to Merlin’s old room. He peered through the keyhole and then pointed to Merlin. He walked over and pressed his face against the keyhole. What he saw was unbelievable. There was a ball of light zooming all over the room. He pushed his arm out behind him and motioned Arthur over as well. Arthur took his turn staring through the keyhole and made a strangled noise. 

“What in the world is that?” Arthur demanded. He withdrew from the keyhole and turned on Gaius.

“I’m not sure sire,” Gaius replied. “It showed up as soon as you three left.”

“It looks like…a fairy,” Merlin said, his voice muffled by the wood of the door. He had returned to the keyhole after Arthur vacated it.

“Why is a fairy here?”

“It could just be an incantation Morgana made. Or an actual fairy,” Merlin replied. “How did you trap it in there?”

“It tried to attack me, and I threw it in there,” Gaius said. Arthur turned to him with a raised eyebrow, not believing his ears. “What? I’m more agile than I look.”

“Let me in there,” Merlin said. 

“It will escape,” Arthur replied. Merlin gave him a look and Arthur fell into silence.

Merlin held his hand out for the key and Gaius tossed it to him. Merlin inserted the key into the lock and turned it. He tensed and turned the knob, pulling the door open quickly. The room grew a bit brighter as the light realized the door was open and flew out the door. Merlin raised his hand and shouted a couple of words. The light froze midair and fell to the ground.

“I see,” Arthur said, staring at the light. “Sorry Merlin.”

“Don’t worry about it. I would rather you forget I had magic,” Merlin replied. He knelt down and picked up the thing, squinting at it. “Well, it appears to be a fairy.”

“Interesting,” Gaius said, drawing closer. The two of them stared at it for a very long time. Arthur rocked back and forth on his heels, not knowing what else to do. “Bring it here,” Gaius said at last. He walked over to his table and Merlin laid it on the wooden surface. Gaius picked up his magnifying glass and held it over the fairy and peered close. “It does not appear to be a magical incantation.”

“A real fairy,” Arthur said again. “Where do these things even exist?”

“I don’t think it’s a fairy,” Merlin said. “Let me see.” 

Merlin took Gaius’s place and peered close. The fairy was wearing an ugly grimace with its mouth open. It’s skin was green and, when Merlin looked closer, had little leaves sticking out of it. 

“What do you see?” Gaius asked.

“Signs that point to this thing being a type of wood nymph,” Merlin said, leaning back. “It has green skin and types of greenery coming out of it.”

“What is it doing here?” Arthur asked. 

“We’ll have to ask it,” Merlin grinned. 

“Oh great,” Arthur groaned. 

Merlin picked up the little nymph and murmured a few words. Arthur watched in amazement as the nymph grew to about the size of Merlin’s palm. He then wrapped his fingers around the nymph’s body and said, “If you try to escape, I will squeeze the life out of you.” His eyes flashed and the nymph unfroze. 

“What did I do?” it snapped angrily.

“What are you doing here?” Merlin asked.

“Business,” the nymph replied.

“What type of business?” Arthur asked, moving closer cautiously. 

“Are you working for Morgana?” Merlin hissed. He tightened his grip on the nymph and it yelped. 

“Merlin!” Arthur said, shocked at his cruelty. 

“Answer me!” Merlin said loudly. 

“S-she made me!” the nymph stammered. Merlin lessened his grip slightly and the nymph continued. “She threatened to burn down our forests if we didn’t try to kill you. I was chosen to do it. We would die without the forest.” It started sobbing quietly.

“I understand,” Merlin said, his voice softening. “Morgana has been twisting creatures of all kinds to do her dirty work.”

“The nymphs would quite literally die if the forests were burned,” Gaius whispered to Arthur. “It is their life source.”

“We will help you,” Arthur said forcefully. “Morgana has to stop terrorizing the inhabitants of this land.”

The nymph nodded silently, tears still streaming down its face.

“What is your name?” Merlin asked quietly.

“Sahra,” the nymph sniffed. 

“Well, Sahra, we will help you and your clan,” Merlin said gently. 

“Thank you,” Sahra replied. She finally looked around. “Everything looks so much…smaller.”

“Sorry for making you bigger, it was the only way to communicate,” Merlin said.

He placed Sahra down on the table gently and she pulled herself into a sitting position. She wiped her eyes and smoothed down her hair. Arthur noticed that her hair looked like tangled vines. 

“What do we do now?” Arthur asked.

“Well, when Morgana finds out I’m still alive, she will surely torch the nymph’s forest,” Merlin said. “How do we stop that?”

“I can take you there,” Sahra offered. 

“We could defend it,” Arthur agreed. “First I have an announcement to make, then I’ll rally the knights.”

He turned and left the room quickly. Gaius turned and looked at Merlin questioningly.

“Magic is no longer outlawed in Camelot,” Merlin said with a grin. 

“Well, that was unexpected,” Gaius replied. “The land will know peace soon.”

“I can’t wait,” Merlin sighed. “It’s too good to be true.”

“That is great news,” Sahra squeaked. She was starting to shrink slowly.

Merlin laughed and scooped Sahra up. “I can always make you bigger again later. Let’s go see Arthur’s speech.”

He turned and left immediately, followed by Gaius. 

*

The knights had rallied all the citizens of the lower and middle town to stand near the castle steps. Arthur stood at the top of the steps, waiting for everyone to assemble. Merlin and Gaius stood off to the side, away from the crowd. Merlin was shielding Sahra with his hand so no one else noticed her. 

“People of Camelot,” Arthur started. The crowd fell silent and waited for him to continue. “I have a very important announcement. Effective today, magic is no longer outlawed in Camelot.”

A ripple of whispers shot through the crowd. People turned their heads and talked to each other, the volume escalating. 

“My people, please,” Arthur said, holding his hands up. The noise dimmed a little and allowed him to speak again. “This decision has been carefully thought out and I believe that there are more good magic users than evil. This kingdom will always be against using magic for the wrong reasons, never doubt that. Those people will still have to stand for their crimes. But we no longer will persecute people for who they truly are.”

Merlin couldn’t help but smile. This really was too good to be true. There was a moment of silence and then the crowd erupted in cheers. Arthur smiled and nodded to himself. He definitely made the right decision. 

“That will be all,” Arthur boomed across the square. “Knights, to me.”

Merlin watched as the townspeople disbanded quickly. The knights ascended the steps and crowded around Arthur. Arthur started conversing with them and then waved Merlin over. Merlin cupped Sahra in his hands and entered the crowded circle around the king.

“This is what I’m talking about,” Arthur said and gestured to Merlin’s hands. The knights peered close and gasped at the little ball of light. 

“She’s a wood nymph. Morgana has promised destruction to their forest if they didn’t kill me,” Merlin said. 

“We must help her,” Leon said. 

“Yes, that is the plan,” Arthur replied. “I want to take a small army of knights to guard the forests and await Morgana’s arrival. With Merlin and Mordred on our side, we might just finish her once and for all.”

“That is a good plan,” Gwaine affirmed. “We will stand by your decision.”

“We will ready the horses and depart shortly,” Arthur said. 

The knights nodded and disbanded. Merlin stayed by Arthur and watched as Arthur ordered Lucan to get everything ready. The boy really did appear without a sound. Merlin thought about all the times he blundered around when he was still a servant and laughed to himself. Lucan was pretty much the complete opposite of him. 

“Everyone is so nice here,” Sahra sighed. “I’m sorry I tried to kill you.”

“No problem,” Merlin replied. “I’m used to Morgana using people to do her dirty deeds.”

“Ready?” Arthur asked. Merlin and Sahra nodded. They walked down to the horses where the other knights were already saddling up. 

“You’ll ride with me,” Merlin said to Sahra. “We’ll lead the way.” He whispered the enlarging spell one more time so that she was the size of an orange. 

Merlin hopped on the horse and placed the nymph in between the horses ears. Arthur mounted the horse next to him and smiled at Sahra. “Just lead the way.”

Sahra nodded and faced forward. “We need to travel east first.”

Merlin and Arthur took off to the eastern gate with the knights in tow. They made their way through the forest at a regular pace. The knights were conversing behind Merlin and Arthur and the sounds of laughter wafted past their ears.

“At least they’re enjoying it,” Merlin said. 

“You should lighten up,” Arthur replied. “We will definitely stop Morgana this time.”

“I hope so. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me,” Merlin sighed. 

“We’re almost there,” Sahra squeaked. She was growing smaller again. 

“No wonder Morgana chose it, it’s really close,” Arthur said with a frown. 

 

When they arrived at the section of forest the inhabitants of Camelot gasped. They were completely surrounded by trees and it looked like it stretched on forever. 

“All of this is yours?” Merlin asked in awe.

“Yes, well, our clan anyway. I will fetch the queen,” Sahra said and zoomed off. 

“How are we supposed to protect all of this?” Percival asked. 

“We must set up a perimeter, or at least try to cover this section of forest,” Arthur replied. “Morgana could come from anywhere.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent devising a plan. Each knight held an unlit torch and were going to spread out as far as they could around the section of forest tied to the nymph’s. If Morgana was spotted, either Mordred or Merlin would cast a spell to light the torches in a specific color: red for east, blue for north, green for south and yellow for west. At least then they would know where the attack was coming from.

As dusk settled in the forest Sahra returned, beckoning them to follow. “We are to have an audience with the queen right away.”

The party followed Sahra deeper into the forest until they came upon an extremely large tree. Many branches spread their limbs to the sky and were covered in thick green leaves. Sahra flew up to the middle of the trunk and knocked three times. The men watched in wonder as part of the trunk slid open and a few balls of light emerged. They floated down with Sahra until they were level with the men’s faces.

“Greetings, knights of Camelot,” said the ball of light in the middle.

“Your majesty, I presume?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, I am Queen Reyna. I want to thank you on behalf of the clan for helping us in our time of need. Morgana has surely gotten wind of Sahra’s failure and will retaliate brutally.”

“That won’t happen, we won’t let it,” Merlin said. 

“I thank you for your confidence. We are small creatures as you can see, and our life force is intertwined with these trees. If anything should happen to them, we will all die.” The queen said solemnly. “Morgana had given us two days to do the task. This is the end of that second day.”

“So she will be coming very soon,” Arthur said, tensing at just the thought of it.

“Relax young Pendragon, we will survive this,” Queen Reyna said.

Arthur, Merlin, and the knights bowed to the queen and retreated. They shared dinner without a campfire, just in case they harmed something that was connected with the nymphs. As the night wore on, Arthur instructed everyone to take their positions.

“Remember, watch the areas around you closely. She will most likely not sneak by but just in case she does, be ready for it. I don’t want to lose any men out here.” 

The knights nodded and picked up their torches. Merlin and Mordred conversed on who was going where for a moment before moving off as well. Merlin had stipulated that he needed to be near Arthur no matter what and Mordred had understood. Arthur was going off to the southern end and Merlin accompanied him. 

“I want this to be over with,” Merlin sighed.

“I have a feeling it will be soon,” Arthur replied. 

Arthur couldn’t have foretold what happened next. One minute they were in complete darkness and the next minute the sky was aflame. The fire danced out of the sky and toward the trees, but Merlin blocked it. 

“Where is it coming from?” Arthur yelled, looking around wildly. All the men were temporarily blinded when the fire disappeared and they were plunged into darkness again. 

“Dragon!” Merlin yelled, spotting Aithusa immediately. He started to speak his dragon lord command but stopped for a moment. He hadn’t told Arthur about that yet. He’ll have to find out the hard way, Merlin thought and shouted the words to make Aithusa stop attacking the forest. The dragon was descending upon the forest again but when she heard Merlin she veered out of the way, needing to obey. He thought he saw Arthur staring at him but decided to ignore it. “Give it up Morgana! Aithusa won’t listen to you this time,” Merlin shouted to the sky. The dragon didn’t return and he didn’t hear anything from Morgana. 

“What in the world was that?!” Arthur exploded.

“I’m…kind of the last dragon lord,” Merlin said sheepishly.

“When were you planning on telling me this?” Arthur demanded. 

“I actually completely forgot about it,” his partner admitted. He heard the swoop of wings and scanned the skies again but they were completely dark. “She is coming back.”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Arthur replied. He scanned the skies too but couldn’t see a thing. He silently cursed his troubles with seeing in the dark. 

Suddenly Merlin felt himself being lifted off the ground. He tried to scream but it wouldn’t come. The magic pressed his body together and then he flew into a tree.

“Merlin!” Arthur shouted. Morgana stayed hidden and he grit his teeth in frustration. 

Merlin choked out the spell and the torch in Arthur’s hand lit up green. He could see the other torches in the distance lighting up as well, along with a couple of shouts. It registered with him that he was still up in the tree and he wiggled to get down. 

“Are you alright?” Arthur asked as Merlin half stepped, half fell out of the tree.

“Yeah, sure,” Merlin mumbled. He dusted himself off and the green lights got closer. “She’s here somewhere,” he said to the knights. 

“Hiding under the cover of darkness,” Gwaine growled. 

“Why isn’t the dragon attacking?” Mordred asked.

“I told it not to,” Merlin replied simply. 

“You never cease to amaze us,” Leon said. The sound of wings were heard again and everyone looked around, only to find nothing.

“This is ridiculous,” Merlin said. He murmured a couple words and shot his arm up into the air. A ball of light formed in his palm and drifted into the sky, effectively lighting up the night. There he could see Morgana on Aithusa. They were hovering above the forest. 

“There!” Arthur said, pointing at her.

Before Merlin could react, Mordred was reaching for the sky and the entire party watched Morgana fly off of Aithusa and plunge into the forest. The dragon hung there as if unsure of what to do without her rider. Merlin turned to Mordred and offered a slight smile. Mordred returned the smile and gestured to the forest.

“Stay here,” Merlin told Arthur. 

“No,” Arthur replied.

“You must. Weaponry won’t work against her and she brought no reinforcements. Mordred and I will handle this,” Merlin said. He crossed the space between him and Arthur and put his hand on his partner’s shoulders. He looked into Arthur’s eyes and said, “trust me.”

Arthur held Merlin’s gaze for a minute and then nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Let’s go,” Mordred said and started to walk towards the spot Morgana fell. Merlin continued to stare at Arthur for another couple seconds and wanted to kiss him so badly. Maybe Arthur saw it in his eyes. He took Merlin’s hand and squeezed it lightly before letting go. Merlin broke eye contact and hurried off after the young druid. 

“Where do you think she is?” Merlin asked as he caught up.

“Dunno. But she fell over here somewhere,” Mordred pointed up ahead. Merlin nodded and they fell into silence just in case Morgana heard them. They crept along slowly. Soon Merlin felt a crunch under his feet and he looked down to see a mass of broken branches. He tapped Mordred and pointed down. Mordred nodded and pointed farther up the path to show a bunch of branches littering the floor. They went even slower, looking for more signs of the high priestess. 

It wasn’t a long wait. They happened upon Morgana splayed on the floor on her stomach. It looked like she had been trying to crawl away but had failed. Merlin looked at Mordred questioningly. Did they end her now or bring her back to Arthur?

“I think the king would want Morgana to stand trial for her crimes,” Mordred said. 

“I agree, let’s bring her back.”

Merlin spoke a combination of words and his eyes flashed. Morgana’s body went rigid and snapped together. Mordred joined in and together they lifted the priestess off the ground so that she floated behind them. 

When they reached the clearing again the knights drew their weapons immediately as they brought Morgana in.

“Relax, she is restrained and can’t hurt us,” Merlin said calmly. “We brought her back for you Arthur. She can stand trial in Camelot.”

“Thank you,” Arthur replied. “Camelot deserves justice from Morgana’s wrong doings.”

“The queen arrives!” Sahra squeaked from behind them. They all whipped around at the sudden voice, but bowed when they saw the balls of light approaching. 

“Thank you, knights of Camelot,” The queen rumbled. “You have saved us from fiery destruction and we are forever in your debt.”

“It was no trouble,” Arthur replied. “We were happy to help. We must return to Camelot and try Morgana in front of the court.”

“Good luck, Pendragon,” Queen Reyna replied. Arthur bowed one last time and rounded up the men. 

“May your kingdom know peace from now on,” Arthur called from his horse. With that sentiment, the men rode out of the forest slowly with Morgana in tow behind them.

“She’s still out?” Percival asked. The knights kept looking behind them on the journey, very anxious about the magical power following them.

“She’s still unconscious,” Merlin confirmed. He was riding last with Mordred so they could keep Morgana between the two, just in case. It was eerie watching her head lolling around as they plodded along. Even though Morgana was completely out of it, the air around the party was still tense. Merlin kept his eyes trained on her more than the road in front of him, which caused some problems. It paid off though when he saw her fingers twitching. “She’s going to wake,” Merlin warned. 

The party slowed almost to a halt as Morgana groaned and moved her head slightly upright. She opened her eyes and squinted around, thoroughly confused. 

“Hello Morgana,” Arthur said from the front of the line. His eyes narrowed and he already felt anger rising in his throat.

“What is going on?” Morgana demanded. She wriggled and strained to free herself in vain.

“You are going to stand trial for your crimes,” Arthur replied. “Come on, let’s keep moving.”

“You can’t do this!” Morgana cried. The party started moving again and Morgana went with them, wedged between Mordred and Merlin. “Aithusa!” 

“She won’t help you,” Merlin replied. He looked at her with a small twinge of pity. She sounded to forlorn, so broken. But he forced himself to push those feelings away. She had done too many horrible things. He heard the flapping of wings and shouted to Aithusa, sending her away. Morgana looked straight at Merlin with pure, unmasked hatred. 

“How are you doing that?” she hissed.

“I am the last dragon lord,” Merlin replied. “Aithusa will not respond to you any longer.” 

“I hate you Emrys,” Morgana spat. Merlin rolled his eyes and reached his hand out. Morgana instantly fell silent, unable to open her mouth.

“Much better,” Mordred agreed. Morgana twisted her head around to stare at Mordred in surprise. 

“We’re almost upon Camelot,” Percival announced. 

“Sire, where will we place Morgana?” Mordred asked curiously. “Normal cells cannot contain her.”

“True,” Arthur replied, musing.

“We could reinforce the cell, together,” Merlin offered. He looked at Mordred who nodded.

“I didn’t think of that.”

“Then that’s what we will do. Her cell will be under constant watch until the trial.”

The knights rode on into the lower town. People stood at their doorways, gawking at the restrained priestess between the horses. Morgana glared at them but remained subdued.

“Call the counsel together,” Arthur said to Leon. Leon nodded and broke away from the pack. Merlin watched him gallop away with a slight sigh. He was not looking forward to this hearing. All of the things Morgana had done would be brought into the light and he would have to relive them. Her killing Gwen. Hurting Arthur. Hurting him…

“You alright?” Mordred asked.

“Yeah,” Merlin replied quickly. He shook his head lightly the clear the encroaching thoughts and concentrated on making it to the steps of the castle. 

“Bring her straight into the throne room,” Arthur instructed as they reached the steps. Merlin and Mordred nodded. They dismounted and guided Morgana up the steps and around the hallways, finally arriving at the throne room. She was placed down in the middle of the room and the two knights hung around, waiting for everyone else to arrive. The room started to slowly fill up as Leon’s message traveled through the castle. Merlin spotted Gaius entering the room and gestured to Morgana. The old physician raised his eyebrows but otherwise said nothing. 

Arthur entered the room and strode up the runner. He reached the throne and about-faced, turning to Morgana with a scowl.

“Morgana Pendragon.” He winced at hearing his own last name associated with this monster. “You have raged many wars against Camelot, fueled by your own hatred and desires. You have murdered Camelot’s queen. You kidnapped a citizen of Camelot, torturing him endlessly. Not to mention bribing and blackmailing others to do what you wish. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Merlin realized Morgana was supposed to give an answer and murmured a couple words, unzipping Morgana’s mouth. She took a couple deep breaths in through her mouth before responding. “I will not rest until I am seated upon that throne,” she hissed. 

“Then I have no choice but to charge you with war crimes against Camelot, misuse of sorcery, and therefore sentence you to death, by fire.”

The room muttered in agreement as Morgana yelled in frustration. “You cannot do this! I am Morgana, the last high priestess! Camelot will be mine!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Arthur muttered. “Get her out of here.”

Merlin nodded to Mordred and they both motioned at the same time, sending Morgana forward at an odd angle. A muted chuckle rippled through the crowd as Merlin and Mordred got their coordination together and took Morgana out of the room. 

“How dare you do this to me!” Morgana shrieked down the hallway. “I am the rightful heir to the throne!”

“Oh, shut it,” Mordred snapped. Morgana fell into a stunned silence and the trio descended the steps to the dungeons. 

“Mordred…” Morgana whispered. Merlin could see the young druid wince slightly but did not reply. They reached and empty cell and threw the priestess in unceremoniously. Still bound, she could do nothing but watch in horror as the two young sorcerers started to magically enforce the cell. 

“You have caused so many people pain. It’s time you feel some of that yourself,” Merlin said bitterly. He gave Morgana one last look before walking away, taking Mordred with him. 

“Mordred, wait!” Morgana cried. Mordred stopped on the steps and started to turn around.

“Don’t,” Merlin replied cautiously.

“She won’t change my mind, I promise. I feel like I owe her…an explanation or something,” Mordred muttered. Merlin sighed but stepped back, letting him go. Mordred returned down the stairs and approached the cell again. Morgana looked completely distraught but her face lit up slightly when Mordred came back into view. Merlin stayed at the staircase, listening intently.

“Mordred!” Morgana said in relief. 

“What do you want?” Mordred asked coldly. The air seemed to shift with Mordred’s tone, becoming much colder. 

“Why are you doing this?” She pleaded. “We used to be friends.”

“That was before you terrorized the entire land, poisoned Camelot and tried to kill one of our own!” Mordred said, his voice rising with each reason. “Emrys is the greatest sorcerer to have ever lived. He should not be kidnapped and tortured like some slave!”

“He is evil,” Morgana whispered. “He is my downfall.”

“You are blind to reason and filled with hate. I pledge my loyalty to Emrys and Camelot. You should think about what you have done and reconsider your position before you perish.”

Mordred turned to leave, anger blinding him, almost preventing him from seeing clearly. Morgana let out a quiet sob and slumped against the wall. The anger ebbed slightly and he turned to face her once again. His face softened and he leaned in close.

“We were once friends. Nothing will change that. I just can’t condone the choices you have made since we parted ways. There has to be some good in you Morgana, I can feel it. Think about it before your sentencing tomorrow.”

With that, Mordred turned and left for good. Merlin scrambled up the stairs as quickly as he could before the druid reached the bottom. Mordred ascended the steps and met Merlin at the top, raising his eyebrows.

“How did it go?” Merlin asked innocently.

“Fine,” Mordred replied, shrugging. “I was hoping she’d show a little remorse, but I guess it was too much to ask for.”

Merlin nodded solemnly. It would have been nice to see her take some sort of responsibility for what she did.

“I guess I’m going to go see how Arthur is doing,” Merlin replied. 

“Go ahead, I’ll make sure the cell is well guarded,” Mordred said with a slight smile. Merlin returned the gesture and took off, heading for the king’s chambers. Mordred sighed and massaged his temples lightly. He was worried about Morgana breaking out, even though she was restrained and the cell was reinforced. He had a word with the guards and then sat at the top of the steps. He wasn’t leaving until tomorrow morning when Morgana was brought out to that fire pit.


	11. The rage uncontained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it! I will update with the last chapter next week :)

Merlin sighed and opened his eyes. He was in Arthur’s bed, his partner still sleeping, even though sunlight was streaming through the window. He yawned and stretched. His mind was still fuzzy but clarity soon came to him. Morgana’s sentence was being carried out today. He rolled out of bed and leaped to the window. Sure enough, the pyre was being built for death by fire. Groaning inwardly, he crossed over to Arthur’s side of the bed and shook him awake.

“What…who?” Arthur mumbled incoherently. He opened his eyes and focused on Merlin. Recognition seeped into his eyes and he smiled slightly. “Hello there.”

“The pyre is being built,” Merlin said, his voice solemn. Arthur’s smile disappeared and his eyes tightened.

“Right.” 

Arthur slid out of bed, pulling out his formal wear. There was a knock on the door and Lucan walked in. Merlin jumped; he had completely forgotten about Arthur’s new servant in the chaos. 

“Is the king ready to dress for the sentencing?” Lucan asked quietly.

“Yes,” Arthur replied, holding his arms out. “Let’s make it quick.”

Merlin almost couldn’t suppress his chuckle. It amazed him that Arthur still couldn’t dress himself. Merlin didn’t think he could let someone else dress him, it would feel too weird.

Once Arthur was dressed, he looked to Merlin. “Bring the prisoner out to the courtyard for sentencing.”

“Sure thing,” Merlin replied. He turned and exited quickly, wanting to get this over with. As he started to descend the steps to the dungeon he almost tripped over Mordred who was still sitting at the top of the steps. “Lord, what are you doing here?” he exclaimed, trying to right himself. 

“Watching…Morgana,” Mordred replied thickly, still half asleep. He shook his head vigorously and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Is she still there?”

“Let’s find out,” Merlin replied. They continued down the steps together and Merlin was relieved to see she was exactly where they left her. She lay on her side, still magically bound, eyes closed in a restless sleep. “Wake up,” Merlin ordered. He opened the cell after murmuring a few words and shook the priestess roughly. She groaned and lifted her head slightly. Her eyes roamed wildly and then recognized Merlin. They narrowed as she tried her hardest to face away from him. “It’s time to meet your fate.”

Morgana sighed in resignation and allowed herself to be pulled into a standing position. Merlin gripped her arm tightly and Mordred took the other. With a murmur of words Morgana’s legs were free.

“Why?…” She asked, her voice hardly above a whisper. 

“You should walk freely to your doom,” Merlin replied. 

“We aren’t letting you go though,” Mordred added. 

The two men tightened their grips and lead Morgana up the stairs. She fell into silence again, either accepting her fate or plotting something. Merlin hoped it was the former. The trek was long and felt like it was taking forever. Merlin forced himself to remain alert and saw Mordred doing the same. Even though Morgana was restrained, she could do anything at any time. Merlin relaxed slightly when he saw Arthur standing at the top of the steps ready to greet them. 

“Bring her down,” Arthur ordered. There was a crowd gathered, ready to watch the sentencing, but they retreated slightly as the two men brought Morgana down to the edge of the fire pit. They turned her around to face the king and Merlin bound her legs again. Backing off slightly, they stayed close enough to catch her if necessary but allowed her to stand on her own. “Morgana Pendragon. You have been found guilty of crimes against the kingdom of Camelot and misuse of sorcery. The sentence was death by fire. This sentence will be carried out immediately. Do you have anything to say to the people you have harmed?”

“I…” Morgana started, barely above a whisper. “I have nothing to say. You will all pay for this dearly. Today is not my day to perish.”

“We shall see,” Arthur replied. He nodded his head once, which cued two guards to pick the priestess up and carry her to the heart of the pit. As they tied her into place, Merlin was thrown off by the fire that seemed to smolder in her eyes.

“Do you feel it?” he whispered to Mordred.

“Yes,” Mordred replied, needing no explanation. “Be on the lookout.”

Everyone watched intently as the lit torch was handed down the line. As soon as the fire touched the dry hay, Morgana shouted words unknown to most but understood by the two sorcerer’s. 

“She’s calling the dragon!” Mordred shouted.

“I can handle it,” Merlin replied. 

Seemingly in no time the white dragon was looming above the crowd. People screamed and started to scatter, not expecting this turn of events. Merlin turned around to see the extremities of the fire licking at Morgana’s robes. His head turned skyward as the dragon moaned, trying to get closer. He shouted the words to make Aithusa stop and turn around, but she did not. Instead, she halted her advance and hovered in place. Morgana screamed again, the flames inching closer, heating up her lower body. Aithusa strained against the command Merlin sent out, trying to get to her priestess. 

“She’s resisting,” Mordred gasped. 

“You will obey my command!” Merlin shouted in dragon-tongue. Aithusa slowly began to retreat and bowed under the strain of the order.

“Aithusa!” Morgana shouted in despair. She was almost completely engulfed in flames, making it hard to watch. Then, with a sudden burst of defiance, Aithusa broke the hold Merlin had upon her and swooped down. She plucked Morgana from the fiery pit and with one strong swoop of her wings put the fire out. Merlin caught one glimpse of Morgana’s robes in shreds and red spots forming on her body before the dragon flew swiftly away from Camelot.

“What…just…happened?!” Arthur spat out. Merlin saw Arthur was furious, his face red; you could almost literally see the steam coming from his ears. 

“Aithusa…disobeyed my command,” Merlin said, still stunned. “No dragon can disobey a dragon lord…”

“I think her love for Morgana is stronger than your command over her,” Mordred said quietly. “Lord knows why…but that beast loves Morgana deeply.”

“We had her in our grasp…and she slipped away,” Arthur fumed. “The flames had almost devoured her. Almost solved all of Camelot’s problems. Now she is still out there, surely plotting our demise once again.”

“We will beat her Arthur,” Merlin said with a confidence he did not feel. “Together, we can.”

Arthur glared at Merlin for a moment before realizing who he was looking at. His face immediately softened and he nodded slowly. “I know Merlin. It was just so close.”

“Come with me. I have something to show you.” Merlin took Arthur’s hand and pulled him away from Camelot. The crowd had already dispersed due to the dragon so the place was deserted anyway. Once they reached the forest Merlin let go but continued to walk until he reached an open meadow.

“Merlin, what-”

“Shh. Just listen.” Merlin looked to the sky and shouted for Kilgharrah in the dragon tongue. A shiver went through Arthur as he listened to the powerful words, even if he didn’t understand what they meant. In a matter of minutes an insanely large dragon was touching down to the ground, facing Merlin. Arthur tried to shout, turn and run, anything, but Merlin stopped him. “This is my friend. He has helped me greatly in Camelot’s times of need.”

“What troubles you now, young warlock?” Kilgharrah asked, not even mentioning Arthur’s presence. 

“Aithusa. She saved Morgana from her sentencing, even when I commanded her not to. Why? I thought nothing could overcome a dragon lords commands.” 

“Ah. It seems the young dragon has forged a strong bond with the high priestess. Not easily broken, not even by a dragon lord.”

“How do we stop Morgana?” Arthur asked timidly. 

“No mortal blade or normal fire can slay a high priestess,” Kilgharrah responded. 

“What does that mean?” Merlin asked in exasperation. “Don’t tell me I have to find out for myself,” he added.

“Then I shall say nothing,” the ancient dragon replied. 

“Does this thing ever give good advice?” Arthur asked, growing bolder.

“Sometimes,” Merlin muttered. “Alright so we can’t rid ourselves of her in any normal way. That just leaves magic. We have to have our battle after all I guess.”

“Great,” Arthur sighed. He was hoping to have avoided that. 

“Good luck, young warlock and mighty king.” They turned to leave as the great dragon lifted itself into the sky. Arthur turned around slowly to see the beast gliding through the sky.

“Magnificent,” he muttered to himself. 

Merlin grinned despite the gravity of the situation. Watching the dragon was something marvelous to behold your first time. They returned to Camelot in silence. Arthur was musing about how to face Morgana once again and Merlin was trying to decipher the dragon’s message. 

“Where did you run off to?” Mordred asked curiously. He was one of the only people left on the steps to the castle. 

“Dragon business,” Merlin replied. 

“Was it of any help?” 

“Not at all,” Arthur said. 

“Well we now know that if we had burned her, she wouldn’t have perished,” Merlin replied. 

“It would have ruined her wonderful complexion though,” Mordred responded, rolling his eyes. 

Arthur laughed. It was nice to joke around again. 

“We need to start preparing for a battle immediately. No doubt Morgana will strike swiftly and in great numbers.”

“Yes, my lord,” Mordred replied. “I will inform the other knights.”

“We’ll get through this,” Merlin said, turning to Arthur after Mordred walked away. “We always do.”

“I know,” Arthur replied. “I just want her out of our lives.”

The two men turned back to the castle steps and entered slowly. Merlin started walking towards Gaius’s chambers. Arthur started to follow but thought better of it. Merlin hadn’t seen his old mentor in a long time and Arthur felt like he was to blame. He offered Merlin a quick smile before departing for his own chambers.

Merlin arrived at Gaius’s chambers and knocked on the door, something he wasn’t accustomed to. Gaius opened the door and his face broke out into a smile. “Merlin! Long time no see. I heard what happened at the sentencing today.”

“Then you know that Morgana is still at large and still planning to destroy Camelot,” Merlin replied, walking into the room. Gaius nodded solemnly. “I just don’t understand. Aithusa disobeyed me for that mad, insane woman. I hatched her and the great dragon took care of her, what went wrong?”

“Sometimes we cannot choose who we love,” Gaius replied. 

“Too true,” Merlin muttered. He still felt the same way about loving Arthur. It still seemed like a crazy, wonderful dream, something he was sure to wake up from any minute. But he didn’t choose to love the king. Just as Aithusa might not have chosen to love Morgana.

“I understand your frustration. But with your powers and Mordred and Arthur at your side, you should overcome her easily.”

“I hope you’re right,” Merlin replied. “I can’t lose Arthur, like the prophecy says. There is still a chance Mordred will turn, whether it’s against his will or not.”

Gaius nodded and sat down at his table. He started mixing poultices together absentmindedly, needing to do something with his hands. Merlin noticed this and sat down across from him. He hadn’t forgotten what Gaius taught him and started to help him without needing to ask what was being made. They worked in silence for a short time. The only sound was their fingers twisting fabric together and putting stoppers in bottles. 

“I missed this,” Merlin sighed. “Healing is such a delicate art.”

“Especially since you can’t always rely on sorcery,” Gaius responded. 

Merlin started to reply but stopped. There was a shift in the air. He could sense it almost immediately. Gaius, with his limited magical capabilities, was only a couple seconds behind Merlin.

“What is that?” Merlin asked. It felt strange and foreboding. 

“I’m not sure,” Gaius replied. They both fell silent again, trying to listen for something they could not hear. Then Merlin realized the problem.

“The birds have stopped singing,” he said abruptly. He ran to the window and opened it. The castle and the town were deathly quiet. There were no songs coming from the distant trees. The air was completely still, not even a breeze pushing air around, giving Merlin a churning feeling in his stomach. Something was absolutely, horribly, wrong. “Somethings wrong,” he said, turning around to Gaius. He gasped when he saw his mentor on the ground, eyes closed, but breathing. “Gaius!” he cried, shaking his mentor. The man did not move. Only then did Merlin take a deep breath. He exhaled quickly, tasting something metallic on his tongue. _The air is poisoned!_ he thought to himself. 

He murmured a quick spell that enveloped himself in a transparent bubble, effectively blocking out the poisonous air. Only then did he realize Arthur wasn’t at his side. He left the room and quickly sprinted across the castle, passing many fallen knights and servants along the way. 

“Arthur!” Merlin cried, bursting into the room. 

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Thank god,” Merlin replied and ran over to his partner. He quickly muttered the same spell on Arthur, much to the king’s bewilderment. 

“What’s going on?” Arthur asked, thoroughly confused. 

“Morgana. Poisoned the air. Most of the castle is already under the spell,” Merlin gasped. “Gaius too.” 

“So soon?” Arthur shook his head. “It’s only been a couple hours.” 

“Morgana’s hatred was already immense. She must surely know at least I would have noticed the change in the air. So either she wants a one-on-one showdown or an all out slaughter.”

“Sire!” Mordred burst into the room, red in the face and out of breath. Merlin could see him visibly relax when he noticed Merlin and Arthur standing there. “Oh good, you noticed.”

“Yes…I got to Arthur just in time,” Merlin said. 

“The other knights have fallen. There wasn’t enough time,” Mordred replied sadly. He hung his head in shame.

“Don’t worry Mordred,” Arthur replied. He walked over to the young druid and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You did all you could.”

“It’s so quiet,” Mordred whispered. 

As soon as Mordred finished speaking, Arthur could hear it as well. There was not a sound save for the three men’s breathing. They stood there for a couple minutes, unsure of what to do next. 

Merlin felt the strange urge to look out the window. He moved there silently and stared outside. He didn’t know what he was searching for but he felt like something was out there. 

“What is it?” Arthur asked. He came up behind Merlin and looked out the window as well, but saw nothing. 

“I’m not sure,” Merlin replied. He continued to scan the skies. Then he saw it. The clouds were turning black. _No…the land was turning black._

“What in the world is that?” Arthur exclaimed. 

“I’m not sure,” Merlin said again. Mordred moved to the window as well, but it was too crowded for the three of them to stay there. Merlin slipped off to the side and allowed Mordred a peek.

“It looks like a blight of some sort,” Mordred said.

“Could be.” Merlin tried to think. What was Morgana’s plan?

“It’s coming closer,” Arthur pointed out. Merlin returned to the window to see the darkness creeping over the lower town. Plants, buildings, shops, all turned black at the touch of the darkness. 

“Stand back from the window,” Merlin warned. “We don’t know what it will do.”

Arthur and Mordred obeyed and backed away from the wall. Merlin drew closer and watched the progress closely. He was sure that this was some sort of menacing force of Morgana’s but what could it really do? 

The darkness crept up the steps of the castle and up the walls. Merlin was sure that it was invading the inside of the castle as well. As soon as the black tinge reached Arthur’s window he drew back quickly. The darkness looked like flames from a fire as they crept into the room and slowly took over all traces of color. Arthur drew closer to Merlin instinctively as did Mordred. As the blackness moved closer Merlin tensed. He was ready for anything this blight might do to them. To his surprise, the darkness did absolutely nothing. It moved across the floor and under their feet without any consequences. Merlin let out the breath he didn’t know he had held. It wasn’t affecting them, whatever it was.

“What do you think it is?” Arthur asked curiously. He looked down at the complete darkness surrounding the floor and the rest of his chambers. Merlin shrugged. He had no idea what this was, except it came from Morgana. 

Just then there was movement in the castle. Merlin jumped at the sudden sound. All three men turned quickly and looked at the door, not knowing what to expect. In a couple minutes the door swung in wildly and banged off the wall. 

“Gwaine?” Arthur asked curiously. The knight stepped inside the door without a word. Merlin looked behind Gwaine and saw Leon and Percival standing there as well. Something was off about the knights but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “Say something,” Arthur half-demanded, growing uneasy. 

“Arthur…I think they are possessed,” Merlin whispered. He quickly scanned the room to see if there were any weapons to use but only saw Excalibur nestled next to the bed. He beckoned it over with magic and pressed it into Arthur’s hands. 

“Could it be true?” Arthur asked, despair seeping into his voice. 

As if to prove Merlin’s point, Gwaine drew his sword and advanced on Arthur. The king held Excalibur in front of him firmly and parried the knight’s first blow. They started a frenzied sword fight. Merlin could see Gwaine’s eyes and gasped: they were completely black, like the rest of Camelot. The irises had been completely swallowed by blackness. Leon and Percival were the same way. They started advancing towards Merlin and Mordred. 

“What do we do?” Mordred asked in a panicky voice.

“Try to temporarily disable them. We don’t want to accidentally kill them,” Merlin said quickly. He held his arm out and sent Percival flying into the wall. The behemoth knight got up quickly and started again. Mordred tried to do the same with a little more success. Leon, being smaller, stayed down after the first hit. Merlin hit Percival again, bringing the possessed knight down to his knees. He glanced up quickly to make sure Arthur was faring alright on his own when he felt strong arms enveloping him and squeezing tight. He yelped and tried to break free unsuccessfully. He heard Arthur yell in protest and tried to turn his head to look at Arthur but was spun around by Percival until he was dizzy. Head spinning, he collapsed to the floor as Mordred’s magic freed him. He scrambled away, in what direction he did not know, but as far away from Percival as he could get. 

“Are you alright?” Mordred huffed, running over to the warlock. Merlin shook his head slightly to try to clear the dizziness.

“Yes…did you get him?” 

“I think so.” Mordred waited until Merlin could see straight and pointed to a spot a couple feet away. Percival lay in a crumpled heap, but his chest was still moving. Arthur was still battling fiercely with Gwaine.

“How do we stop Gwaine from getting seriously injured?” Merlin mused aloud. His question was answered almost immediately after as Arthur spun around and whacked Gwaine on the head with the hilt of his sword. The knight collapsed to the ground and remained motionless. Merlin rushed over and checked Gwaine’s pulse; it was still beating. “Well that solves that problem,” he said, straightening up. 

“What do we do?” Mordred asked. “I’m sure the whole castle is possessed.”

“No doubt,” Merlin muttered. “We have to meet Morgana head on.”

“Just the three of us?” Arthur asked. 

Merlin nodded. The three of them should be enough, especially since two out of the three of them had magic. 

“How are we going to get out?” Mordred’s question hung in the air unanswered. If they went the regular way they were sure to run into more possessed knights or servants. Merlin was about to reply when he felt a huge thump on his head and saw stars. He let out a grunt before falling face first onto the floor. 

“What the-” Arthur started. Standing behind Merlin was Lucan. His eyes were also a deep, penetrating black. “Damn it,” Arthur cursed. Even when Lucan was possessed he was still insanely quiet. 

Lucan bent down and picked up Merlin under the arms. He started dragging the sorcerer to the window before Arthur could stop him.

“Wait!” Mordred yelled, rushing forward. Lucan looked up and Mordred flew backwards into one of the bedposts. 

“He has magic?” Arthur gasped. “Or is it Morgana?” He inched forward slowly as Lucan edged closer to the window. After he got closer he made a desperate lunge for Merlin’s legs. Lucan noticed the advance and held a hand out, stopping Arthur, and sent him skidding across the floor. “Merlin,” Arthur groaned, reaching an arm out. He looked up in time to see Lucan toss Merlin out the window before following suit. 

“They’ll die!” Mordred cried. He staggered to his feet and rushed over to the window. He only stayed for a couple seconds before scrambling backward as Aithusa’s body filled the window in her ascent. “The dragon has him,” Mordred said as he gasped for breath. 

“I saw,” Arthur replied grimly. He slowly got back on his feet and walked over to the window. He saw Merlin in Aithusa’s grip as they quickly flew out of sight. East. That was where he and Mordred needed to go. “Let’s go,” he said resolutely. 

“Alright,” Mordred replied. 

*

Merlin groaned and lifted his head, feeling dizzy. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were heavy and didn’t respond to him. There was a whooshing sound in his ears that he couldn’t shake free. There was the strange sensation in his mind that he was flying or sailing. Then came the high pitched roar of a dragon.

His eyes shot open at the sound. He was looking at fog-covered forests. “What’s going on?” he shouted to the ground below. Aithusa whined in response. Merlin tried to decipher the dragon’s noise but could not. If Aithusa was carrying him, though, he knew exactly where he was going. “Why did you disobey my command?” he asked, not expecting an answer. The dragon emitted a low moan that settled in her throat. 

Soon the fog began to clear and Aithusa dipped lower. Merlin saw a settlement of tents in a clearing in the forest and assumed thats where Morgana was currently residing. Aithusa circled low to the ground before landing gracefully. Merlin was still held tightly in the dragon’s claw and was now pressed into the hard ground. 

“Hello Emrys.” The familiar voice came from above his head. He tried to turn his head to look at his captor but couldn’t maneuver himself. “Let him go, Aithusa.”

Merlin felt the pressure releasing off his back and tried to scamper to his feet but instead felt a magical force keeping him rooted to the spot. “Let me go,” he growled.

“Why would I do that? Then your precious Arthur couldn’t watch you die,” Morgana replied. 

“That’s the game now, is it?” Merlin asked, gritting his teeth.

“I’m done playing games. You will die, Emrys. Just not until Arthur is in sight so it causes him immense pain. Like he caused me.”

Merlin looked up for the first time and let out an audible gasp. Morgana’s neck and face were covered in angry red blisters. Merlin suspected that they covered her arms and legs as well but those were covered by her thick robes. 

“You see what your so called king did to me? My body is ruined. It’s all his fault. He needs to be taught a lesson,” Morgana’s voice rose close to hysterics. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. “But no matter. He will know true pain soon enough.”

“You aren’t going to win,” Merlin replied weakly. He was already bowing under the strain of the magical force holding him. 

“We’ll see,” Morgana whispered. She grabbed Merlin by the arm and started dragging him into her tent. Merlin fought every inch of the way but it was to no avail. They entered the tent and Merlin saw the area that was to be his cage. There was a metal cage just barely large enough to fit Merlin’s body standing up. Large, heavy chains hung from the top and sprouted out of the bottom. Morgana opened the cage door and threw the sorcerer in. She knelt down and slowly clamped the chains over Merlin’s feet and then moved to his hands. “Just in case you get any ideas of trying to warn your precious king,” the priestess growled as she magically sealed Merlin’s mouth. 

The sorcerer hung his head as Morgana left the tent. He felt extremely exposed and depressed. How had Morgana managed to capture him again? No doubt Arthur and Mordred were searching for him right now, which would only bring his death closer as well as Arthur’s grief. He knew Morgana would not bargain or back down. Her hatred was just too great. He suddenly realized that she had stopped him from talking aloud, but not by telepathic means. 

_‘Mordred, if you can hear me, answer!’_ Merlin cried silently. No response. _He must not be in range_ Merlin thought sadly. _I’ll keep trying though._

*

Arthur and Mordred made it out of the castle with few interactions. The castle was deserted for the most part. Either everyone was amassing to help Morgana or she only animated the people she needed. They went to grab horses but then realized the animals were possessed as well. Reluctantly, the two men set off on foot. 

“Morgana is going to pay when I reach her,” Arthur said, his jaw clenched. 

“Don’t be too rash. She has Merlin, who knows what she’s planning,” Mordred replied.

Arthur sighed. The druid boy was right. Morgana was definitely planning something sinister and had Merlin at her mercy. She had the upper hand in this situation, which Arthur didn’t like. “We need a plan…of some sort I guess.”

“We should try to get Merlin out undetected, although it will most likely be impossible,” Mordred admitted. Arthur had to agree there. 

“Maybe we can call the dragon,” Arthur said suddenly.

“Only Merlin can do that,” Mordred pointed out.

“We have to try,” Arthur insisted. They trudged to an open clearing and Arthur looked to the sky. “Dragon, we need your help!” he shouted. There was no reply.

“He might be far away,” Mordred said, losing hope. “Or just doesn’t want to help us.”

“Merlin is in trouble!” Arthur shouted again. “Please help us!”

They waited another couple minutes with no reply. Sighing, Arthur turned to keep traveling but then stopped. Was that the sound of wings?

“There!” Mordred said, pointing to the sky. Arthur let out a sigh of relief. The dragon was coming to their aid after all.

“Ah, the young king and the druid boy,” Kilgharrah said after touching down. Arthur nodded briefly and Mordred bowed.

“We need your help, dragon. Morgana has kidnapped Merlin, again. She surely means to do something horrible.”

“Your predicament seems grave. May I suggest caution when trying to get Merlin back. Morgana is fueled by a rage no man will ever understand.”

“What is she planning to do?” Mordred asked.

“I do not know. But it is sinister and evil, of that I’m sure.”

“Can you take us there?” Arthur asked.

“I can take you as close as I dare to go,” Kilgharrah responded. 

“We will accept that gratefully,” Arthur replied. 

Kilgharrah knelt down and lowered his neck. Arthur climbed up first and held his hand out to Mordred. Mordred took it and lifted himself up and behind Arthur. They settled in between the dragon’s shoulder blades and Kilgharrah lifted off. Arthur couldn’t help but smile; this was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. He could hear Mordred let out a joyful hoot behind him and couldn’t help but join in. 

The ride was fairly short. They noticed the rows of white tents and Kilgharrah got as close as he would go. Arthur was almost sad it had to end but focused himself on the task at hand. He needed to save Merlin. As the dragon touched down and let Arthur and Mordred off, they turned to thank him.

“I wish you luck. Good will out,” Kilgharrah said.

“Thank you for taking us this far, dragon,” Arthur replied. 

Kilgharrah nodded and lifted off again. The two men watched the dragon leave for a moment before turning in the direction they saw Morgana’s tents.

“Ready?” Arthur asked as they drew closer.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Mordred replied grimly. 

_‘Mordred!’_ Merlin’s voice entered the druid’s mind.

 _‘Merlin?? Where are you?’_ Mordred asked frantically. He stopped walking and concentrated on the conversation, earning a puzzled look from Arthur.

_‘You must be close. Please don’t come any further. Morgana means to kill me as soon as Arthur appears.’_

_‘Oh, great. We knew she was going to pull something. Let me talk to him.’_ Mordred turned to the king and relayed the information. 

“We must go anyway…somehow,” Arthur murmured. “What can we do…”

“It’s a dire situation, for sure,” Mordred replied. “There must be some way we can reach Merlin without alerting Morgana or her troops.”

“But how,” Arthur groaned, sinking to the floor. “I wish I could talk to him…”

“Sorry, it’s a druid thing,” Mordred sighed. He sat down next to Arthur and tried to think as well.

 _‘What did you decide?’_ Merlin asked after a couple minutes.

 _‘Still thinking’_ Mordred replied. _‘Where are you anyway?’_

_‘Inside Morgana’s tent’_

“Morgana even has him inside her tent,” Mordred said aloud. Arthur groaned again and slammed his palm into his forehead repeatedly. 

“Can’t you just…magic him out or something?”

“She’s probably chained him up with magical chains,” Mordred replied.

“We need to get in there.”

“Morgana’s not playing around, Sire. She is seriously unhinged. The minute you walk into that camp Merlin is a dead man.”

Arthur lifted his head and Mordred could see unshed tears shining in the king’s eyes. “I know…but what _can_ we do?”


	12. The beginning in the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it!! I hope you like it :). Feedback and comments are appreciated!

Merlin shuffled around in his chains, silently cursing Morgana. His arms were tingling from being above his head for too long. It was like the tower all over again. All of the bad memories from the previous kidnapping washed over him and left him deep in despair. He knew how close Arthur and Mordred were but that was only going to bring his death closer. 

“Let’s go, pet,” Morgana said as she walked into the tent. She snapped her fingers and Merlin’s mouth was able to move again. Merlin refused to acknowledge her, earning a mocking pout. “Oh come now, Emrys. No hard feelings?”

“Go to hell,” Merlin replied. Morgana chuckled and snapped her fingers. The cage holding him lifted off the ground a couple inches; enough to follow Morgana out of the tent. 

“I know your precious king and Mordred are here, I can sense it,” Morgana said smugly. “Come on out!” she shouted to the trees. Merlin watched in horror as Mordred and Arthur revealed themselves and exited the forest. 

“No, don’t!” Merlin shouted. He focused on Arthur’s face and saw all the worry and indecision etched into it. It was easy to see Arthur didn’t want to do this but had found no alternative. The sorcerer hung his head and awaited his fate.

“So, the almighty Arthur Pendragon has come to rescue his servant, the almighty Emrys,” Morgana sneered.

“He’s a knight,” Arthur replied boldly.

“Oh, my mistake! I should have treated him worse.” Morgana turned and spat at Merlin. 

“Leave him alone,” Arthur said in an even voice.

“I’m done playing games. I want to watch your face as I kill him. Then you will know true pain.” Her eyes flashed dangerously and Arthur unconsciously took a step forward. Merlin raised his head slightly and found himself unable to look away from the confrontation.

“He has done nothing to you,” Arthur replied.

“He has done everything!” Morgana shrieked. “He has ruined my chances at the throne and caused me misery.”

“I believe that was me,” Arthur replied. “I am also to blame for your scarred skin. Not him.”

“That’s another matter.” Morgana tried but failed to cover up her ruined skin. “Now, watch helplessly as your protector dies before your eyes.”

“Do what you want, you’ll never succeed in the end,” Merlin said with as much courage as he could muster. He saw the burning hatred in Morgana’s eyes and resigned himself to his fate. Morgana raised her hand slowly, fingers spread wide, and started to close them slowly. Merlin found his throat closing slowly and he drew as many shallow breaths as he could. His fingers went completely numb and he wanted to close his eyes, but he forced himself to focus on Arthur’s face. His beautiful face, wrought with worry and anger, the two emotions battling for dominance. 

Arthur couldn’t stand it. He knew Morgana wouldn’t make the death easy. He hated her for it. But then he realized that her attention was completely on Merlin; she wouldn’t look at him until Merlin was drawing his last breaths. Ever so slowly, he started to creep towards her. His sword had been drawn from the beginning but he kept it low and tried to remain inconspicuous. 

Merlin saw what Arthur was planning to do. Stars were popping into his vision and he hoped whatever Arthur would do would be enough. He tried not to let the recognition show in his eyes in case Morgana caught on and stopped him. Looking back at Morgana’s face, he saw a mixture of pleasure and fury in her features. It was a dangerous combination and she squeezed her fingers together even more, effectively cutting off his air supply. He gasped, failing to find oxygen to make it into his lungs, and started to black out. The burning was unbearable and he almost welcomed oblivion just to rid himself of it. It reminded him again of the tower and how Morgana’s weapon of choice seemed to be suffocation. This was more painful than last time though, almost as if she was channeling all of her pent up rage into this one attack.

The king was within inches of the high priestess. It was now or never. He raised his sword and plunged it into Morgana’s abdomen. She shrieked and fell, releasing Merlin from her grip. Mordred rushed over to the fallen sorcerer to check on him. 

“Go to hell,” Arthur said forcefully. “And never, ever, bother us again.” He twisted the blade deeper and stared into his sister’s eyes, only feeling a slight twinge of pity for her.

“I don’t understand,” Morgana gasped. “I cannot be killed by a mortal blade…”

“Not a normal blade,” Merlin gasped. “Forged in dragon’s breath.” After adding that his head lolled forward and Mordred began frantically trying to unlock the cage.

“I see,” Morgana whispered. 

“Goodbye sister,” Arthur replied quietly. He let her slide off the blade and onto the grass. The blood pooled around her midsection but he didn’t stay to watch. He rushed over to the cage where Mordred had finally gotten the door open. “Merlin, are you okay?”

The sorcerer did not reply. Arthur cast a quick, panicked glance at Mordred before leaning forward to check Merlin’s heartbeat. He crushed his ear against Merlin’s chest and almost sobbed with relief. His partner was still alive. 

“I can get him out of the chains, I think,” Mordred muttered.

“Please,” Arthur responded. 

Mordred scrunched up his face and started murmuring words. He touched each of the chains in succession. On the third round, the chains started breaking. First the wrists, which made Merlin fall forward into Arthur’s waiting arms. The ankles were next, which allowed Arthur to carry Merlin out of the cage and onto the grass. He made sure his partner was far away from Morgana’s body and traced his finger along Merlin’s cheek. There was a low moan and Arthur turned to see Aithusa walking up to Morgana’s body. She sat down and lowered her head onto Morgana’s stomach, closing her eyes.

“Dragon’s can’t heal or something, right?” Arthur asked worriedly.

“I do not believe so,” Mordred replied, although he watched Aithusa closely. 

“Please wake up Merlin,” Arthur whispered. He leaned over so that his forehead touched Merlin’s and stroked his hair. 

“What a nice way to wake up,” Merlin murmured, wincing.

“Oh thank god,” Arthur said in relief. He kissed Merlin’s forehead and brought him into a tight embrace. “Don’t scare me like that again.”

“Sorry, I’ll try not to,” Merlin smiled.

“We should leave, Sire. There are no doubt a huge amount of Saxons in these tents…or something,” Mordred called out. 

“True. Can you walk?” Arthur asked Merlin, who nodded. “Good. Let’s get out of here fast.” The three men made a quick getaway. No one followed them, making Arthur wonder if the tents were for show or if Morgana was expecting reinforcements. Either way, he was glad not to have to fight any longer. “What was that about my sword?” Arthur asked Merlin after a couple hours.

“It’s true. I forged it in the old dragon’s breath for you. It alone can cut through anything,” Merlin replied. 

“And I’ve had it all this time, unaware of its powers?” Arthur was amazed at Merlin’s ability to keep things from him.

“There was a time when it was desperately needed,” Merlin said in a low voice. Arthur nodded; he remembered the previous time Morgana tried to take over Camelot and the men who wouldn’t die. He shuddered from the memory and shook it from his mind. Morgana was dead now, no longer able to harm them. 

“I can’t believe it’s over,” Arthur said aloud.

“Me neither. It will take awhile to get used to peace.”

“I just wish she had changed her mind…that she would have changed back into the woman who helped me so many years ago…” Mordred whispered. Merlin could tell that the druid was visibly upset at Morgana’s death and completely understood. They had shared a bond at one point that would have been hard to break.

“It’s okay, Mordred. She was no longer that woman. What we destroyed was a shadow of that person, so twisted and deformed that it was no longer the Morgana we all loved.” Merlin put a hand on Mordred’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “Maybe that loving woman will return one day.”

“Thank you,” Mordred replied. He looked at Merlin and smiled sadly. The sorcerer returned the smile and turned to face Arthur. The king looked exhausted but content. It filled Merlin’s heart with happiness; for once they could stay happy and not have to worry about the next threat. 

Merlin was seized by a sudden urge to shout his joy. “For the love of Camelot!” he shouted to the hills.

Arthur and Mordred took up the chant. Mordred’s voice added a twinge of sadness to the phrase but it was meaningful nonetheless. 

*

Upon returning to Camelot, the men found everything back to normal. The blackness was gone with Morgana’s passing and no one was possessed any longer. Lucan was walking around the courtyard with a dazed look on his face. The knights had assembled on the steps to await the king’s return upon finding him missing. Merlin couldn’t help but chuckle when Percival, Gwaine and Leon complained of aches and pains. 

Arthur called an immediate counsel meeting to relay the good news. The cheering resonated through the bustling halls of the castle. After informing the counsel Arthur sent the message around town. He also called for a celebration to be held. The people of Camelot were rejoicing, but not as much as Merlin and Arthur. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders and freedom was finally theirs again.

“There will always be people threatening Camelot you know,” Merlin said while getting ready for the feast.

“Yes, but no one as dangerous as her,” Arthur replied. He straightened his collar as Lucan fumbled with his belt. 

“Here, let me,” Merlin said and gently pushed Lucan’s hands away. The servant retreated as the sorcerer looped the belt through swiftly and buckled it.

“So you did learn something in all your years as my servant,” Arthur chuckled.

“More than you know.” Merlin straightened up and grinned. Arthur returned the smile and fixed Merlin’s latch on his cape. 

“Ready?”

Merlin nodded and accompanied Arthur down the halls to the banquet hall. The festivities were already in full swing but the hall quieted down as the king entered the room. Merlin hung back and allowed Arthur to make his entrance as the king. 

“Thank you for coming. As you know, we are celebrating a new period of peace and prosperity in Camelot. May we all drink and be merry!” 

“Hurrah!” shouted the guests. Merlin laughed when he heard Gwaine and Percival above everyone else.

Arthur turned and extended his arm to Merlin, who took it eagerly. Arthur escorted Merlin around the table to their seats. The two sat down and were immediately served wine and the finest meats Merlin had ever seen. He ate until he felt he was about to burst. Leaning back in his chair, he let out a content sigh.

“Enjoying yourself?” Arthur asked amusedly. 

“Definitely.” Merlin patted his stomach. “If I keep eating like this, I won’t be able to maintain my girlish figure.”

“Well these festivities are at least going to last the week. Try to use some self control.” Arthur chuckled and punched Merlin’s shoulder playfully. 

The sound of a lute and banjo started sailing in the air, causing some people to get up and dance. Soon the hall was filled with people drunkenly shouting and dancing with whoever was near.

“Would you like to dance?” Merlin asked, feeling slightly buzzed himself. He saw Arthur’s eyes light up temporarily, then darken. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t…dance,” Arthur replied.

“Sure you do. I’ve seen you loads of times.” Merlin was puzzled at Arthur’s reaction. Was he not good enough after all this?

“That was when…my father forced me. I rather dislike it.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun, I promise.” Merlin was getting out of his chair and taking Arthur by the hand despite his distended stomach. Arthur half-heartedly protested but eventually gave in. They approached the open space were people were dancing and joined in. The dance was formal and Merlin was glad he remembered the steps. He realized no other man was dancing with a male partner and he wondered if he should take the man’s position or the woman’s. Arthur solved this problem by taking the lead, twirling Merlin on cue and bringing them apart and then back to together again. It didn’t bother Merlin in the slightest. He liked Arthur taking the lead, telling him what to do, where to go. Arthur was enjoying it as well. It was natural for him to take the lead, since that was how he had been taught. All the lessons came back to him, even though he had hated them, he liked dancing with Merlin. It felt natural and easy. 

They danced for about half an hour before the musicians took a break. Arthur pulled Merlin back to the table, where they were serving dessert. Merlin was slightly out of breath and returned to the table willingly. They slumped into their seats and ate dessert slowly. 

“Now that was fun,” Arthur said, swallowing a bite of pie. 

“See, I told you it would be,” Merlin replied. 

“You were right, you usually are.”

Merlin glanced at Arthur, a little thrown off by the reply. _I usually am?_

Arthur took no notice of Merlin’s no-reply and picked a mini-cake off a communal plate. He bit into it happily, having worked up some appetite from dancing.

“Careful or we might have to let out your clothes,” Merlin teased. Arthur responded by ruffling Merlin’s hair and taking another bite of cake anyway.

As the hubbub of the party died down slightly, Arthur stood with his goblet in his hand. “I would like to make a toast,” he started. His voice boomed out over the crowds, effectively silencing the rest of the crowd. “To two very brave men who helped make this all possible. Our very own knights, Sir Mordred and Sir Merlin. Without them, our time of peace would not have been possible.” Arthur raised his goblet and everyone else followed suit. He glanced around and saw both Mordred and Merlin were blushing slightly behind their goblets. Arthur grinned and shouted. “To Mordred and Merlin!”

“To Mordred and Merlin!” The crowd shouted in return. Arthur sat down and grinned at Merlin whose cheeks were still red. 

“I’ve never received recognition for anything,” Merlin whispered furtively. 

“I believe in giving credit where credit is due,” Arthur replied. 

“Thank you. No really, thank you,” Merlin said sincerely. “That was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Arthur simply smiled and took Merlin’s hand under the table. They stayed that way for most of the tail end of the feast, completely content. As the night wore on, Arthur tugged his partner’s hand, signaling it was time to go. He made his formal goodbyes and exited the room with Merlin, heading back to his chambers. When they arrived, they both immediately headed for the bed. Each of them flopped down on their side of the bed, almost too tired to take of their clothes, but doing it anyway while lying down. 

“That was fun,” Merlin said, lying on his side. All that remained on him was his trousers, just like Arthur. He wasn’t used to sleeping shirtless but he found it strangely pleasant. 

“It definitely was,” Arthur agreed. “More so because you were there with me.”

A light blush danced across Merlin’s cheeks and the tips of his ears. He moved closer so that he could rest his head in the crook of Arthur’s shoulder and sighed contentedly. “I wish I could stay here forever.”

“Now we can,” Arthur whispered into Merlin’s ear. He stroked Merlin’s hair lightly with his free hand and closed his eyes. The two of them lay in each other’s arms and fell asleep fairly quickly, exhausted from the festivities. 

*

Merlin felt the sunshine on his face and protested with a moan, rolling away from the light. He felt for Arthur and found that the king was not there. He reluctantly opened his eyes and looked around, searching for his partner. Arthur was standing by the bed with a tray, surprising Merlin and making him gasp. On the tray was a hearty breakfast complete with a glass of juice. Looking around, Merlin also spotted rose petals scattered across the floor and the bed. 

“What’s this for?” Merlin asked incredulously. Arthur smiled and set the tray in front of Merlin.

“Good morning. I wanted to give you something nice…since you have helped me so many times in the past,” Arthur stammered slightly. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you…Morgana almost took my chance away for good and I don’t want that to happen again.” Arthur looked down at his hands and twisted them together anxiously. “What I mean is…I love you.” Arthur blurted out the words and peeked at Merlin expectantly.

“I love you too,” Merlin replied. He reached out for one of Arthur’s hands and grasped it tightly. “I have since the day we met. I’m so glad you feel the same.”

Arthur let out a shaky breath and returned the squeeze. “I’m so happy to hear that. Would you…wear this token for me?” The king released Merlin’s hand for a moment to twist one of his rings off of his finger. It was smooth metal with a golden metal band in the middle. He looked at it for a moment before extending it to Merlin.

Merlin gasped. He knew how much that ring meant to Arthur and accepted it gratefully. He slid it on his left index finger where it sat comfortably as if it had always been there. “Thank you so much Arthur…really.”

“That’s how much you mean to me,” Arthur replied. “I hope that soon…maybe after the kingdom gets used to this new era…we could possibly enter an…arrangement together?”

“Are you talking about…something like a marriage?” Merlin asked breathlessly. 

“Only if you want to,” Arthur responded, lowering his head again. Merlin pushed the tray back slightly so that he could maneuver enough to embrace his partner. 

“Of course I want to,” Merlin murmured into Arthur’s shoulder. He felt the king relax into his touch.They stayed that way for awhile, comfortable in each other’s company, until Merlin realized that the breakfast was still on the bed getting cold. He ate quickly, feeling a little strange as Arthur ate at the table and he stayed in bed. 

“We don’t have anywhere to be today,” Arthur said as he finished his meal. 

“Nowhere?” Merlin asked in surprise. Usually they had at least something, especially with the celebrations still carrying on. 

“I say we stay in bed all day and relax,” Arthur replied. 

“That sounds heavenly.” Merlin patted the empty space next to him as Lucan cleared the tray away. Arthur dismissed the servant quickly and hopped into bed, settling next to his partner. They wrapped their arms around each other and settled in for the day. It was pure bliss for the two of them. Nothing was hanging over their heads; they were completely worry-free.

“Merlin?” Arthur murmured into his partner’s neck.

“Yes?” Merlin replied happily.

“We’re completely free.”

“Isn’t it wonderful?”

“What do we do now?”

Merlin stared into Arthur’s blue eyes. “We relax, for once.”

“What if we grow complacent? Weak? Someone could invade and we would be defenseless…”

“Really, Arthur? You’ve had a day and a half of peace and you’re already worried?”

Merlin studied Arthur’s face to realize his partner was being serious. He always knew Arthur was a warrior but had no idea he had to constantly be in motion, fighting something, doing anything to keep himself busy. Lying in bed all day just wasn’t like him. Merlin sighed and traced his partner’s chest with his index finger. What was he going to do with him? Arthur brought his fingers under Merlin’s chin and raised it slightly so he could kiss him slowly.

“Sorry. Warrior’s brain.”

“I know you need to do things, but we can put that off for a couple days. I want some alone time with you after all that excitement.” Merlin placed a light kiss on Arthur’s nose and nuzzled into his shoulder. The king chuckled and ran his finger’s through Merlin’s hair absentmindedly.

“Sure, I can do that.”

The rest of the day was lazy and wonderful. They fed each other lunch in bed after Lucan came in and placed the tray on the sheets. No one besides the servant disturbed them all day. No Saxons tried to invade. No fights in the streets. It was a rare and glorious day for Arthur and he felt drunk with the feeling of it. He felt like a grinning fool half the time, plus he couldn’t stop staring at Merlin. They spent a large part of the afternoon just exploring each other’s bodies. It wasn’t overly sexual or tense; the two men memorized everything about each other. 

“I love everything about you,” Merlin breathed. Arthur was absolutely perfect. He had the perfect abs, legs, shoulders, arms, even his lips were absolutely perfect. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Arthur responded with a chuckle. Now that Merlin’s neck had healed from the bruising Arthur could appreciate how soft and creamy Merlin’s skin was there. The skin had scarred slightly but not enough to be noticeable unless you were looking for it. Merlin hadn’t put his scarf back on all day since they were still shirtless from sleep so it was easy for Arthur’s eyes to be drawn there periodically. He bent down and playfully bit and kissed along Merlin’s collarbone, making his partner yelp. “Your neck is so…sexy,” Arthur murmured, kissing Merlin again.

“Thanks,” Merlin gasped, trying to control himself. Arthur continued for another couple minutes and Merlin weaved his fingers into his partner’s hair, tugging lightly. “S-stop,” Merlin stuttered. Arthur pulled away and looked at Merlin quizzically. 

“You don’t want it?” Arthur asked, frowning. 

“I do I just…I don’t know. I’m so mentally exhausted from everything that’s happened…I want to give myself to you fully,” Merlin stammered, looking away.

Arthur nodded and pulled Merlin’s face back to his. He pressed a light kiss on Merlin’s lips and hummed softly. “I completely understand. You will tell me when you’re ready, then.”

“You really are perfect,” Merlin murmured. 

Arthur just smiled and stroked Merlin’s cheek. “I think we should get ready for the next feast tonight soon.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Arthur fetched Lucan and ordered the servant to draw two baths again. Once the baths were drawn and steaming, both men stripped and got in immediately. Merlin was not as shy as the first time they did this. Whether it was the near death experiences or the fact that he was completely comfortable with Arthur now, he didn’t know, but he welcomed it. They bathed slowly, making sure to scrape off the grime of the battle with Morgana. It felt like a new start to Merlin and he welcomed it whole heartedly. Once his skin was pink and gleaming he stood up out of the now-cold water and wrapped a towel around himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Arthur do the same.

“I feel like everything that happened is just a dream now,” Merlin murmured. 

“I feel the same way,” Arthur replied. “A mental health day does wonders.”

“Plus scrubbing until all your skin is raw,” Merlin grinned. 

They dressed in ceremonial garb again and walked together down to the throne room. Everyone stood when they entered and sat back down and continued their talk. As they approached the dais Gwaine approached with a knowing grin.

“No one has seen hide nor hair of you two since last night. Me, I think there’s some sexy escapades going on.” Gwaine playfully punched both men’s shoulders. Before they could answer he walked back to the other knights, cackling. 

“That Gwaine is going to kill me someday,” Merlin groaned. He sank into his chair, flushed with embarrassment. 

“Relax, it’s just Gwaine being Gwaine,” Arthur replied. He sat down on his adorned chair and picked up his goblet immediately. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Merlin sighed.

The feast went almost identical to last night. The food was amazing, Merlin overate, and Arthur laughed at him for it. When the music started up this time, it was Arthur’s turn to drag Merlin to the dance area. 

“Oh no, I’ve awakened a beast,” Merlin groaned. Arthur grinned and took his position across from Merlin as the music began a new song. Despite his full stomach Merlin fully enjoyed himself. He loved the confident look on Arthur’s face when he was leading Merlin in the dance. He tore himself away from Arthur’s face to glance at the people around them. Some people were watching them and some weren’t, but the ones who were didn’t seem to be bothered by it. The pace picked up and the two danced faster and faster. Merlin was getting dizzy from spinning so many times in a row. He heard Arthur laughing and wished he could see his face but all he saw was a blonde blur. The music wound down and Merlin stumbled into Arthur’s arms unsteadily. 

“They’re clapping for us,” Arthur murmured into Merlin’s ear. 

“What?” Merlin asked, still dazed. He listened and realized people were clapping. The room slowly stopped spinning and shifted into focus. He and Arthur were surrounded by a ring of people; it seemed they had given the two men the floor for that dance. They were all clapping and cheering. Merlin found himself smiling and clutching onto his partner even tighter. Arthur laughed when he spotted the knights cat-calling from the back of the ring. 

“I guess they don’t mind our relationship after all,” Arthur said as the two men walked back to their seats slowly. 

“It seems that way,” Merlin said, still gasping for breath. He noticed Arthur had broken out into a light sweat but didn’t exert too much. Must have been the extra food Merlin thought unhappily. He really did need to stop gorging himself at the feasts. 

Then Arthur did something completely unexpected. He turned Merlin’s face to his and kissed him in front of everyone. Merlin eyes widened and he tried to push away, in case this display of affection was unwanted in this company, but there seemed to be no objections. In the end, he decided to be himself and kissed Arthur back. His partner pulled away slowly and grinned. 

“That wasn’t so bad was it?” 

“Just extremely nerve wracking,” Merlin responded. 

“Don’t be so nervous,” Arthur replied. “It’s all okay now. We can just be ourselves.”

“Hallelujah,” Merlin said, rolling his eyes. But he offered Arthur a smile anyway and pulled him in for another kiss. 

*

After months of peace, Arthur decided it was time to officially propose to Merlin. He did so by taking him out into the meadow where they met the dragon together for a romantic dinner. Mordred helped him enchant the meadow with dozens of magical lights that hung from the trees and hovered in the sky over their blanket. They twinkled every so often, giving the impression that the two were surrounded by dozens of fireflies. Merlin was absolutely amazed and stunned. 

“You did all this for me?” he stammered. He sat down on the blanket with his mouth agape. 

“You are worth everything to me,” Arthur murmured, stroking Merlin’s cheek lightly. 

They opened their basket and took out an entire roasted chicken with assorted vegetables and biscuits. They ate slowly, enjoying the impending darkness. There was small talk and plenty of laughter. As the meal was winding down, Arthur glanced at Merlin and took a deep breath. I can do this he thought. 

“Merlin…”

“Yes, Arthur?”

Arthur moved to his knees and took Merlin’s hands in his. He took in everything about his partner. The way his face glowed in the magical light, his eyes shining with happiness, the warmth emanating from his hands. “We have had a wonderful time these past months. I haven’t been so happy in my entire life.” He tore his gaze away from Merlin and looked down, blushing. “You complete me. I never knew it was missing but…you made this hole inside me disappear. I am forever indebted to you for so many things.” 

“You did the same for me. I never thought I could be so happy either…” Merlin trailed off. “I never want to leave these moments.”

“You won’t have to,” Arthur said with a new intensity. He locked his gaze with Merlin and smiled. “Merlin, will you marry me?”

“Of course!” Merlin said passionately. He took his hands out of Arthur’s grasp and threw his arms around his partner, knocking them both onto the blanket. “Yes, yes!” He choked back tears and squeezed his eyes tight.

Arthur chuckled, letting them roll around on the blanket for a couple minutes. He hugged Merlin close, blinking back tears as well. “I’m so happy to spend the rest of my life with you,” he whispered. 

“Me too,” Merlin murmured into Arthur’s hair. 

They spent a long time in each other’s embrace, listening to the sounds of the forest, completely content. 

*

The wedding ceremony took place two days after the proposal. There wasn’t a big festival or tournament held in Merlin’s honor. Arthur had wanted to do it but his partner had implored that it be quiet and reserved. Arthur had complied just to make Merlin happy, but he had wanted to celebrate his love for Merlin publicly. 

The entire castle turned out for the ceremony. Gaius waited with Merlin outside the doors while people filled into rows. Merlin was wearing his knight uniform, complete with chain mail and all, and a completely new embroidered cape. He was trying to take deep breaths but he kept hyperventilating without realizing it.

“You’ll be fine, Merlin,” Gaius reasoned. “Just stay calm.”

“I’m marrying the king. I’m going to be a king with Arthur. I’m marrying Arthur,” Merlin babbled, unable to stop himself. Gaius laid a hand on his shoulder and Merlin immediately felt calmer. 

“All you have to do is walk down the aisle, receive the second crown, and affirm your love for Camelot,” Gaius whispered as the doors opened. 

“Right,” Merlin replied, feeling his legs turn to jelly. Gaius gave him a light shove and he started to walk in between the rows. Everyone was looking at him and he felt like he was going to pass out right there. But then his gaze went farther up the aisle and he saw Arthur standing up there, smiling at him. He looked regal in his crown, chain mail and cape. The jelly left his legs and the dizziness passed. This is why he was here in the first place. To formally join Arthur and himself, forever. _You can do this_ Merlin thought furtively. _Look at Arthur, keep your eyes on him._

Arthur watched Merlin walking down the aisle and was filled with joy. Merlin looked like an utter wreck but he expected that. It made him grin even more when Merlin caught his gaze and visibly straightened up and started walking faster. _He looks absolutely perfect._

Arthur held out his hand and Merlin took it slowly. They stood side by side and waited as an elderly man dressed in splendid robes stood in front of them and opened a very ancient looking book.

“Do you, Merlin, swear to uphold the laws of Camelot, rule it to the best of your ability, and work with your husband to keep our kingdom safe?”

“I do,” Merlin replied. Arthur gave him an encouraging smile and squeezed his hands. 

“Do you, Arthur, swear to divide your responsibilities with Merlin and continue to rule Camelot with a fair and just hand?”

“I do,” Arthur responded. The man stepped back and Arthur let go of Merlin’s hands slowly. Lucan approached and placed a small soft pillow on the floor. Merlin understood it was time to kneel. 

He lowered his gaze and knelt on the puffy fabric. He heard Arthur moving above him but knew that he couldn’t look up yet. In a terrifying moment, his memories strayed to Gwen, who had knelt here only years before. She had been completely unaware of the fate that would befall her. He mentally shook himself roughly; he couldn’t think of that right now. 

Merlin felt the crown being placed on his head and a tremor went through his body. This was really happening! The crown fit perfectly and he finally looked up into Arthur’s warm, blue eyes and smiled. Arthur held his hands out again and Merlin placed his hands in Arthur’s eagerly. The blonde helped him rise and brought them facing the ancient man again.

“By the powers vested in me, by the laws of Camelot, I now pronounce you two king and….” The priest trailed off as if searching for the right words. He took a breath and continued. “King and, well, king.”

Merlin cracked a smile and tried to hold back a chuckle. Arthur squeezed his hand tight but couldn’t hold back the laughter. His laughs echoed along the walls and some of the audience joined in. The laughter grew and soon everyone in the throne room was laughing, including Merlin. 

“You are the the only one I would ever share this title with,” Arthur murmured to Merlin as the laughter died down. 

“I’m going to be the best half-king ever,” Merlin grinned. 

The audience fell into silence again as Arthur and Merlin shared a kiss to seal their new pact. Merlin caught Gaius’s eye, standing in the back, with a huge smile on his face. His mentor opened his mouth and shouted, “Long live the kings!”

The chant was taken up by everyone in the hall and the castle shook from the force of it. The two men saw the knights shouting it the loudest and couldn’t help but laugh again.

There would be many nights of celebrating, drinking, and new responsibilities for both men. But, as the two men looked at each other and embraced again, those would have to wait.


End file.
